Uncertainty may seem like the only certainty ....but the unbelievable is believable!

I have been standing still in my quiet time hoping to find a place of peace with events, decisions, directions and plans in my life journey at this moment in time. I delved into the Word looking for application and perhaps encouragement and comfort for the future.  However, as I stood still, I was directed to my past.

This verse resounded in my mind and my heart:
“For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”  Habakkuk 1:5

 

Going back to school as an “older” “very middle-aged” student for a new career…

Moving half-way across the country away from family and loved ones, and establishing “home”…

Finding joy after devastating loss…

These are just three of the events in life that I probably would not have believed if I had been told as that inexperienced, filled with idealism, younger version of me.

Standing still and thinking about just these three “unbelievables” brings about revelation:

I most likely would’ve never chosen each of those forks in the life’s road if left to having my own choice as to what would happen in my life.

Looking back, it is absolutely indisputable that I am where I am supposed to be right now.  Each of these life events has brought me experiences, perspectives, life lessons, blessings, joys, and so much more that I would never otherwise have had:

The firm knowledge that I am His child.

A loving, strong, unbreakable marriage bond.

Amazing children with “unworldly” hearts.

Very special friends that have become God’s blessing of family.

“Home” in so many senses of the word.

“wealthy” (although not by worldly standards) beyond measure.

Contentment.

I know I am who I am today because of the “unbelievable” that was.  I have priorities in life I would otherwise not have had – as well as beliefs, values, and joy.

Even more humbling is evidence that God used these experiences, my “unbelievables”,  to His purpose for others.

As I walk through today’s issues and concerns, I may miss the hand of God at work at this moment – I may not understand how it’s all going to come together – I might be somewhat fearful, tired, doubtful, uneasy or just plain overwhelmed.  Uncertainty seems like the only certainty.  I don’t know what tomorrow holds.  But, I do know who’s holding tomorrow.  I do know that I am a beloved child whose Father knows best.  In that, there is peace…. And comfort….. and encouragement.

1 Peter 5:7  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Romans 8:28  We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him.

Romans 8:37-39  In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 46:1  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:10  Be Still and know that I am God.

Making plans.

It seems like a great deal of time is spent making plans:

            Who’s got to be where by when and how they get there and back.

            Making and keeping appointments.

            How to get things that need to be done, done by when they should be.

            Making goals and plotting how to meet them.

            Etc, etc, etc…

Consider what the Word has to say about planning:

James 4:13-16  “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”
Proverbs 27:1 "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."
Proverbs 16:9 "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps."

Planning.

Plotting a course of action.  Having a strategy or a means to accomplish a task.
Planning is a necessary part of daily life for families, individuals, work, and play.  It’s a good thing in general. But as I have been standing still with the concept of planning several “life lessons” or truths come to light:

Nothing ever really goes as planned.

Flexibility needs to be part of the plan.

Often it is only AFTER an experience, that we can understand God’s plan was different than ours … and better.  Or we may discover that the plans we have made, the process we’ve gone through, the experiences we have are really just preparation for something God had in store for us all along.

Now there’s a thought to stand still with...

Planning may become preparation for what God will call us to do. 

Perhaps when it comes to making plans for goals we are looking at, we need to keep in mind that we are actually preparing. Preparing  -  equipping; girding; readying; strengthening; training; laying the ground work… for His purpose.

Ephesians 2:10  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
1 Peter 3:15  But in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
2 Timothy 2:21  Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Psalm 85:13  Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.

Our plans are part of God's preparation for future service. He will inform us of what service that will be when He is ready and He knows that we are prepared and ready.

Let’s pray our plans, our preparation, are according to His will.

Relationships

We are made for relationship.  Studies have shown that having social connections improves your health and even length of life – constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly beneficial to our physical health.

Relationship.  A connection, association or involvement; a connection between persons; a bond; interconnection; kinship; link; rapport; relevance.

I’ve been standing still with “relationship”.  I find myself at a point in life – this “midlife”- of deeper contemplation.  Two of my children are now “adult” – the youngest now a young man. My relationships with my children are morphing yet again.  I’m adapting once more to the people they’ve become – even though I can look at them and still see the child they once were forever locked in my heart.  I’m rediscovering certain aspects of relationship with my husband as our focus shifts from a very active family life to couple life. Professional relationships have changed as I now find myself back in school pursuing a new career.  And then there are my friendships… some I’ve been reconnecting with, one or two have grown stronger and there are those I miss – that have slipped away due to time, distance…circumstance.  And extended family relationships… time and distance have changed some of those as well… circumstance…. Well, sometimes family can be so easy but sometimes so very not.

In standing still with “relationship” I’ve decided a few things:

 I think we all have hopes or expectations about how and what relationships should be, but the fact is that relationships seldom live up to expectation or hopes.  I’ve learned it is unrealistic to put my personal expectation on someone – it automatically sets that relationship up for failure. People are human.  I know I possess so many flaws, shortcomings – hidden hurts and burdens. They each have their own as well.

Relationships are not static. They are constantly changing – life situations change, experiences happen, people change (I’m definitely not the same person I was at 18 or 22 or 35 or 40 or even just last year), time goes by.

 Attention is necessary to maintain a relationship – whether it is personal time, quick texts or note or maybe even that yearly Christmas letter.  Connections are maintained through some sort of contact which is balanced.

 Balance is needed.  A relationship requires something that is two way.  It can’t be one sided to be a true relationship.  One of the best pieces of advice a mentor once gave me was to step back and wait.  Value is shown by how one invests time – if that isn’t being pursued by both sides that relationship has a different value and meaning to each individual.

 It’s okay to let a relationship be what it is.  It’s okay to consider someone a friend yet they think of you as a co-worker or just a neighbor.  It’s okay to have relationships in different circles at different levels at different depths.

As uncertain, unbalanced, and constantly changing all relationships are – I’ve learned one absolute.

There is One with whom it is possible to have a relationship that will always be certain; One who will always take me as I am; One who values me beyond measure; One who fills me up, mends my heart, and simply loves me unconditionally. One who never changes.

God.

 

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 43:1 “I have called you by name, you are mine.”
Isaiah 43:3 “ For I am the Lord you God”
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”
Matthew 28:20 “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Ephesians 3:17ff “you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Reclaimed

I have a good friend who had a birthday not long ago. 

The time I spent with her for her birthday has had my thoughts occupied.

For her birthday I decided to take her on a birthday date.  I didn’t take her to a nice place for a lunch or go for pampering and a pedicure …. I took her to a salvage center.  A HUGE big old building filled with old construction material – windows, doors, tile, knobs, hinges, lighting fixtures, sinks, tubs, screws, screens, brackets, … and wood – all kinds of wood from framing to baseboards; from furniture grade scrap to old lumber.

You see, my friend enjoys wood working as a hobby.  She takes old discarded wood and makes things that are useful… beautiful.  There’s been a few times I have found myself driving around with her and stopping to load old fence wood or recruited to unload pallets from the back of her SUV.

On this day, there it stood 8 feet tall among many other old boards. It was old, stained, marked. There were areas deeply darkened by time and weathering; many splatters and paint rings; scars from old nails or screws; yellow tread marks.

Most people would glance right over it. Dismiss it.  It no longer had purpose. It seemingly had little if any worth.
My friend and I lifted it out of the lumber rack.  She ran her hand over it – looked at it from all sides.  Smiling she looked at me and said “this is the one”.  A price was paid for what most would deem waste or a loss. And a treasure was brought home. In time with care, vision and work – there will once again be beauty and purpose…and value. 

Reclaimed. Recovered from discard and refuse. To be brought back to be useful, usable and preferred. To be restored.

As I’ve stood still with my thoughts about the birthday adventure, I see myself in that piece of wood. I carry scars from tragedy and hurts.  I feel weathered by time and life – I have so many stains and flaws – anxiety; fear; at times judgmental, impatient, unforgiving; failures; misunderstandings; shortcomings.

There are times of doubting; times of feeling dismissed – what’s my worth; what’s the purpose; am I valued?
Standing still, I’m pretty sure each of us can relate to that old board.

 

There is one who sees past my stains and scars.  One who has paid the price for my soul and being.  One to whom I am not discard or by whom I am not dismissed.  One to whom I am valued beyond measure, treasured and loved despite how I may appear.  

It’s humbling and amazing to be reclaimed by His love.

He takes me in whatever condition I am and uses who I am.

All those scars and stains; all that time has brought is purposed.

He looked at me and said “this is the one”.

My prayer now is for you to know your worth – God sees your beauty –– and He has a purpose for you.

YOU and I have been reclaimed.

The perfect gift

Yesterday, the family and I decided to head out to one of our local malls to finish our Christmas shopping. This mall is a bit on the larger side for our area – over 175 specialty stores and restaurants.  None of us are what you’d classify “a mall shopper”.  We are more of the ‘get in, get it, get out’ people.  …Did I mention this is the last shopping weekend before Christmas? Usually we are more of the early shopper type but it seems like this year time slipped past us.  So it was an experience!  I paired off with one of my boys, as did my husband and our daughter who was on a mission, left all of us in the dust as she set of to find the perfect gift for one of her brothers. 

The deeper into the mall child2 and I went, the more crowded and busy it got.  Child 2 looks over to me as we are pacing, dodging, and lunging through crowd spurts and says “I like the mall’. “we hardly ever come here buddy.  It’s easer to shop the strips by us – get in, get out” I reply.  He says ‘I don’t like shopping here – I like walking around and watching here.  The people are interesting.’

And on we walked.

I started to consider not the crowd, or the waves of shoppers, but the people.  They were fun to look at and watch – definitely interesting: goth teens leaning against a store front giggling about an older woman in one of the hipper stores; the dad corralling three kids while he was chasing to catch up with mom; the older gentleman sitting in a seat outside the woman’s dressing room waiting, and waiting, and..; the elderly couple holding hands as they went into the Hallmark store…There were many people in the crowd, this huge uncountable crowd, each with their own purpose – especially on this weekend before Christmas – the purpose of seeking that ‘perfect gift’.

I began to think… I know what it is like to be the one who’s found that perfect gift for that very special person.  This is a person I care so very much for and want to express my appreciation, my care, my love wrapped inside.  There is great joy in giving that perfect gift – especially when you see the great joy found when it is received.

That perfect gift… I’d bet an innumerable number of people shopping were striving for that “perfect gift’.

And then I smile – not because I already found that ‘perfect gift’, but because it hit me that I have been the recipient of “THE” perfect gift. 

It was given to me by my FATHER in a manager wrapped in swaddling cloth. I am reminded of this even by the signs all over the mall for Christmas begins with C-H-R-I-S-T.  I can proclaim with Paul “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”  Thinking on into the book of Ephesians I am lovingly told “for it is by grace you have been saved through faith – this is not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God.”   I didn’t do anything to received this perfect gift – it was not my good dees or my being a good person –it was solely the grace of the  Heavenly Father and out of his great love and compassion that He found the perfect gift to give me.

Each person in this crowded mall, each person in this fear-filled, hesitant, defiant country – each person in this whole world has been given the perfect gift - His son, who would later take our punishment willingly and completely out of a very personal deep love.

It is my prayer as you search for or receive “the perfect gift’ you will reflect on THE PERFECT GIFT given for you – the FATHER’S beloved child.  It begins and is C-H-R-I-S-T-mas.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:22-23