“The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you; to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8

Yes, God requires something of His children.  

To do what is right.  To love mercy.  To walk humbly with Him, our personal God.  I cannot require or even expect this from others, even other believers.  But I can yield myself completely to One that will reward what He requires; who will equip for what He expects.  I can commit to living out this Biblical mandate, and be emboldened and empowered by His grace to actually be able to do it.  

To do what is right.  This is not “right” according to me.  This is “right” according to a holy God.  Scripture, in the book of Judges, records the chaos and darkness of a people that “did that which was right in his own eyes”.  When one is left to determine what is right for himself in any given situation, we are on a collision course to destruction.  In other words, somebody always gets hurt.  And it is often the believer that suffers, the one that has a whole-hearted desire to fully follow after God, the one that truth and integrity and honesty and kind consideration really matters to.  And that’s often enough to discourage some, making them question the God they serve.  Why??  That’s the question when wrong gets the upper hand. It’s a tough pill to swallow when wrong appears to win.  And it’s not a new question.  

    “You have said terrible things about me, says the Lord.

But you say, What do you mean? What have we said against you?  

You have said, What’s the use of serving God?  What have we gained by obeying His commands…?”  Malachi 3:13-14

But the child of God does not need to struggle with these questions.  The faithful servant that has embraced grace, has experienced the reality and unrelenting love of God, the one that loves and serves Him because He first loved them, that child can throw themselves into the open arms of a great Savior that confirms over and over again that He is enough and there is everything to gain in Christ.  Jesus, in all His tender compassion, His forgiveness, the acceptance and belonging that is found with Him, the sweet comfort of knowing He will never leave or abandon His own, the overwhelming peace that is often impossible to explain but is very, very real...He is enough.  And He has revealed himself through His Word, the promises are true and relevant.  So never back away from doing right.  

    “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  (Philippians 1: 21)

    “In His favor is life; weeping may endure for night, but joy comes in the morning.”

(Psalms 30:5)

To love mercy.  This is a tough one, but again, nothing He requires is beyond His enabling grace to accomplish.  Why is this so tough?  Because mercy defined means it is extended to the undeserving.  It demands that we relinquish the right, even the desire to retaliate, to wish that those who wrong us suffer accordingly.  When everything in you is screaming “you should pay!” it means giving that too, to Jesus.  And believe me, He can be trusted to do right by His children.  

“He [Jesus] did not retaliate when He was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered.  He left His case in the hands of God who always judges fairly.”  (I Peter 2: 23-24)

Jesus left us this example and the rest of I Peter is full of encouragement and reminders of God’s faithfulness in providing for, comforting, blessing, those that “suffer for right’s sake” and do not return evil for evil.  He will hold you until the hurt heals.  He will bring you to the place that you LOVE mercy, because you are reminded often that He extends it to you on a regular basis.  He is full of mercy...unfailing love...and we can abandon ourselves to that unfailing love because it is eternal.  And, to take it a step further, we can love others this way because of Him.  Love Mercy!

Walk humbly with your God.  There is no other way to walk with God.  We can know God.  We can know about God. We can talk the God-talk.  But to walk with Him?  To have a vibrant, intimate, personal relationship with Him that alters our egos? To live as Jesus lived?  “To cast down every imagination and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”?? (2 Corinthians 10:5) We are so often so full of ourselves.  What we want, how we feel, what we need...our future, our friends, our reputation, our...our...our..; me, me, me!!  Stop for one moment and say with John, “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30).  Jesus will never be who He can and should be in your life until you are not the most important person in it.  Stop living for yourself.  Start living for Him!  And remember, it’s not just about “walking humbly”, but walking humbly WITH YOUR GOD.    

      “Pride and arrogance, and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”  Proverbs 8:13

He has shown you what is good.   To live a life this way...doing right, loving mercy and walking humbly with God, this is the good life.  We don’t have to question or debate what “good” is.  He has graciously explained it, made it known.  It is no mystery, it’s simplicity is just not always appreciated.  And the fact that it is required?  We’re the better for it.  It’s the better way.  

By His grace, no regrets. None.

The Best Days of My Life

“Are the best days of your life behind or in front of you?”  

Our Daily Bread’s writer for Aug 1, 2016, suggested that “when we’re younger, we look ahead, wanting to grow up.  And once we’re older, we yearn for the past, wanting to be young again.”  I’m sure that is true for many, and in fact I know many both young and old that even as I write, are experiencing these feelings. But that has not been my experience so far.  

As a teenager, one afternoon in particular, I was in our kitchen sweeping the floor after cleaning up the dishes.  I remember stopping, looking out the window, and thinking about what it would be like when it was my own home I was cleaning, my own family I was caring for. That had been a dream of mine since a very young age.  I wasn’t “itching” to grow up, or wishing I could hurry up and be there, just pondering the future.  In fact, there were more days that I saw the challenges my parents and other adults faced daily and thought it would be nice if I did not have to “grow up”.  Now that I’m older though, I can say with all honesty..neither have I looked back, yearning for the past or wanting to be young again!  I know some that have, but that has never been something I contemplated or even actually wished for.  There are plenty of  days that I feel old, but other days, I’m not even sure I know what that is!  When I was 12, 25 seemed old; when I was 25, fifty seemed old.  And now, that I’m past that, well...90 seems old!!

Lately though, I have found myself saying out loud to my husband things like, “at our age, I thought we’d be slowing down some”, “at our age are you sure we’re up to that?” or, "at our age should we be taking on a new venture?”  While I’m not looking back saying, “Oh to be young again!”, I guess I am feeling my age, and it’s not 25!  

Two years ago on our 35th wedding anniversary, Roger and I decided to renew our wedding vows.  We sensed very strongly that our lives would be taking some turns.  We had purchased a 25 acre farm a few months prior, and that one huge decision “at our age” would be just the beginning of change.  The following spring we moved Roger’s mom to the farm into a second house on the property. That meant four generations were now living and working together.  Then, Roger and I were approached about a change in our job situation, to make the move from being houseparents to 10 teen boys (this was a live-in arrangement for 5 days) to roles in the office.  So, after nearly 9 years of only coming home a couple of days a week, and sometimes not even that often, we were able to come home every evening.  Because of the daily commute the change would involve, if we hadn’t made the move to the farm we wouldn’t have considered it.  We were now strategically halfway between the church he continues to pastor, and our jobs at the children’s home.  It has all served to make me even more sure that the season of change is not over, and that all of this is just preparation for the next stage God is moving us to.  

Our family farm is now an operating business, Hope Springs Farm.  Roger and our son Dan and his family have worked hard over the last 3 years to build from 8 alpacas that were gifted to us as a rescue, and a rabbitry of just a few breeders.  There are now  over 40 alpacas, and a rabbitry of over 100.  Mine is primarily a support role.  I am often keeping the younger children while they are caring for the animals, or maybe riding along with Dan to the processing plant for the rabbits.  As the business grows, time is stretched even thinner as we try to balance the church and our jobs at the ranch with keeping the farm steady, with Dan still working full-time as well.  Steph homeschools four of their six children, while chasing the two toddlers around, and keeps the pantry stocked with everything from mint tea to apple butter to sell at the farmer’s market.  I look at all they do and then think, “but they’re young, they can handle it!  I’m exhausted!  At our age how much longer can we keep up the pace?”  

Roger had gotten off the tractor one evening after being out in one of the pastures and was coming across the yard.  Mom was on our front porch and called out to him, “Roger, you’re working yourself to death!”  He said, “No, mom, I’m working myself to life!”  And that is the key.  It’s all a matter of perspective.  Roger challenges me daily with his zest for life, his go-getter spirit.  But I also see how little he sleeps, and how tired he is on so many evenings.  Yet, there is joy and purpose.  While there are many nights lately that rest alludes us and I question “how long?” our great God guides us and directs us to keep moving forward.  The long-term purpose in all this, and where it might all take us from here is not so much the focus, as is the opportunity to daily just walk in the path He opens up for us.  

The devotional was encouragement to consider that “when we walk with God, whatever our age, the best is yet to come!” I have never been more convinced that this is true.  I understand that age brings its own unique challenges my wonderful husband and I will inevitably face, and some will likely be hard and even painful.  But as grateful as I am for the life we have right now, I believe our best years lie ahead.

It will be our choice.  

What about you?  Looking back,  wishing for a younger, fitter, slimmer you?  Looking ahead, wondering if you’ll ever be financially stable, settled, or satisfied with where life has you?  May I suggest, just enjoy life right where you are!  Don’t be constantly looking back wishing for what’s not, or wasting the precious here and now trying to relive what’s supposed to be in the past.   And certainly do not let your age hold you back or make you doubt life’s possibilities.  And if you’re on the younger side looking forward?  Enjoy the journey, but don’t try to “hang on to your youth for as long as you can”, because, if you’re walking with God, the best years of your life are ahead of you.  Trust God with His great plan for you to have an abundant and blessed life.  You’ll be able to live a contented life, with no regrets.  

It starts right now.  

Where is God when I need Him?

Exodus 17:7  “Is the Lord here with us or not?” (NLT)

You begin a new venture, confident of the Lord’s direction.  You make some serious decisions, a change in direction, and it is awesome to see how God works even in the details, putting it all together.  He used His Word to open your eyes and heart to something new or different that He wanted to do in your life.  As you prayed and sought clarity and peace, He made it so clear through circumstances, counsel, and a dozen other ways, that He was leading.  Yes it would be a jump, a dive into the deep end so to speak, a leap of faith.  But you were going with God, so it would be ok!  You head out, and God is doing some pretty cool stuff!

Then, you hit the first snag, the bump in the road. Things start to get hard, a little cloudy.  Before you know it you’re experiencing a full-blown storm, a dark and turbulent time.  

LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU.  Don’t let the first question of your hurting heart be, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”  This is a faith walk, a journey of trust.  And believe me, God is right there.  

This faith walk was something new for the children of Israel.  Moses definitely had his hands full leading this bunch out of Egypt.  They had seen the greatest works of God this side of creation,  “God’s mighty hand” at work on their behalf; He delivered them from their bondage,  heard the cries of their hearts, the woeful prayers for help.  But after a short stint in the desert heat, they were lamenting before Moses that they would be better off having stayed in Egypt (as slaves, being treated horrendously!).  They were without water.  It was a serious dilemma.  They would most definitely die without it.  So naturally they wondered...and verbalized expressly to Moses...WHERE WAS GOD!?  If He had truly led them out of Egypt, performed all those great and powerful acts, for them, then where was He now?  Would He rescue them from injustice, cruel mistreatment, slave labor, and certain death when Egypt’s army pursued them, hold back the waters of the Red Sea making a pathway of escape, just to allow them to perish in the desert for lack of water?  

Maybe they didn’t follow that same thought process.  Maybe all they could think about was the present reality.  The need was real.  The immediate circumstance was pressing in on them so all thoughts of the future and a purpose in their problem may have left them.  They needed a reminder that He was in fact there. And God showed Himself very real and very powerful and very present, again.  He provided water, in the desert, from a rock.

God help us not to shrink in the shadows of uncertainty, not to abandon all thoughts of your goodness and greatness when we can’t see You, can’t feel You, can’t understand what or why.  Help us never to doubt your sweet presence, your powerful presence.  Remind us how clear things were in the beginning, how strong the sense of direction and decision.  Help us trust you completely, and calmly wait while you work, until once again there is no doubting this was a God-thing!

Where is God?  He’s right where He has always been...where you are.  

it's just like God

It’s just like God to do what He says He will do.  It’s Who He is; it’s His character.  He is faithful; He can be trusted.  

When the Lord Himself visited Abraham, as recorded in Genesis 18 and told him that Sarah would bear him a son in his old age, Sarah had trouble believing it.  And she heard it first hand!  She was inside the tent and overheard the conversation.  Her reaction?  She laughed.  It was one of those “are-you-kidding-me?” kind of laughs.  It didn’t make sense!  First, she couldn’t see herself at her age, with Abraham, at his age, “having pleasure”.  And even if they enjoyed the intimacy of husband and wife “at their age”, she was well past the age of child-bearing.  She was 90, and Abraham 100 years old.  

We can all relate to Sarah. After all, it was a pretty incredible, hard-to-believe promise.  But it was a promise, a promise from God no less!  But our reactions are often like hers.  You read in God’s Word to forgive.  Well, that’s fine and good, but does He really expect that in “my situation?” And He promises to forgive us if we forgive others; He promises His peace and strength if we do.  But really?  It doesn’t make sense.  How does forgiveness free me, heal me, make me stronger?  You’re right.  It doesn’t make sense.  No more than a 90 year old woman having a baby.  It doesn’t make sense.  It’s just true.  

I read in the Word to give, and not just give out of my abundance but to give beyond my ability to see how, if I give what I really need for myself, how my own needs will be met.  It doesn’t make sense.  No, it’s just true.  And then there’s the “love your enemies” thing.  How in the world does showing love to someone that I know hates me make any difference at all?  What does it change?  It changes me.  It changes my perspective.  I am the better and stronger person for it.  But that doesn’t make sense either.  It’s just true.  And the rewards are real, just like God promises.  

    “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as

    He had spoken.”  Genesis 21: 1

In other words, God did just what He promised.  Sarah did indeed get pregnant, and she had Abraham’s son, Isaac, the son of promise.  “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” the messenger asked in Genesis 18.  No, nothing is too hard for the Lord.  It’s just too hard for us to believe sometimes.  But’s that’s ok.  The fact that we may have difficulty believing doesn’t change God’s faithfulness to His Word.  It may keep you from benefiting from the blessing of believing His promises if you can’t just take Him at His Word, but He won’t fail in the reality of those promises.  

So the next time you come across a promise in God’s Word and the reality of it just doesn’t make sense, just ask for help to accept it as the Truth it is.  Start living it out.  Put it into practice and see what God does with it. It may seem laughable at first.  But Sarah saw God’s incredible promise fulfilled.  So can you.  

Because it’s just like God to make good on a promise.  

Weeds

They had been blooming all summer and into fall, and they were pretty.  At least I thought they were, even if no one else did.  Especially when they were smaller, with those bright purple petals and darker purple and yellow centers.  But now they were large and growing on both sides of the steps down from the porch.  It was now December, in southern West Virginia, and they were still blooming!  But they were weeds, starting to look more like weeds, kinda scraggly, thin and faded, and taking over the bed.  And to Makenzie, my 11 year old granddaughter, the fact that I had let them grow to this size without removing them from the flower bed, well, it raised some questions in her mind.  

I was coming back to the house after being out in the pasture helping my hubby with some fencing.  Makenzie was coming out.  “Why haven’t you pulled up these weeds, Grammy? she asked. “They’re like monsters now.”  “WelI,” I answered, “I thought they were pretty, and they didn’t seem to be bothering anything.” After discussing the situation a few more minutes, I decided with her help to go ahead and pull them out, a fairly simple task that shouldn’t take long.  Well, that was before I started tugging at the roots and realized they went down pretty deep. But it had to come out now.  I had made such a mess.  So I bent over, gripped with both hands, dug in my heels and pulled even harder, and then it gave way.  The next thing I knew I was tumbling backwards over the large rocks that defined the bed, landing on my backside, feet up in the air, dirt flying.  Kenzie was trying to decide if I was really hurt, and having trouble not laughing.  

No, I was not terribly hurt.  A couple of scrapes, moderate bruises, and I was a bit sore the next morning, but I’d live.  And the weeds had been taken care of.  But the process had been a bit painful, and I got dirty.  

I faced a hurt this week that brought this little tussle with a weed to mind.  Hurts can cause a root of bitterness to start its descent into the depths of the heart, and I knew what the Scripture says about a root of bitterness.  It can find a place in the heart, and like those weeds, if it is not taken care of can do damage both to one’s self and others.  Things might look pretty good on the surface, but down deep, the longer the root remains, the stronger the grip grows.  Before long, if not dealt with, it will hinder positive growth all around. Your relationship with God and with others will suffer, keeping you from having the close, loving relationships with others you should have. Peace will escape you, and worst of all, it will keep you from experiencing God’s grace.  God’s grace will always be available, but a root of bitterness will keep you from being able to know it’s reality at work in your life.   

    “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.  Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”  Hebrews 12:15

I don’t know about you, but I need God’s grace at work in and through me...lots of it!  Amazing Grace...it’s not just a song.  His grace gives me a reason to get out of bed and face myself in the mirror when I have failed miserably.  His grace comforts me and pulls me out of the pit of sadness when all I want to do is cry.  His grace woos me with song, and builds joy back into my soul, when I just want to hide away.  His grace gently reminds me that Jesus has been in the pit, and He endured it for me!  He loves me (when others may not). He accepts me (when others may not). He has a purpose for me on a daily basis (when others may make me feel insignificant or dispensable), and that great purpose is to know Him and love Him more.  It’s to live to honor Him.  He is worth it, and makes my life worth it.  So when the bitterness tries to creep in, I go to Him with a resolve to rid myself of it.  I don’t want anything to keep me from “receiving the grace of God” when I would need it most.  So I give it to Him and I commit to doing what He says I must do in order to see the root destroyed…

    forgive;

    pray;

    confess;

    make changes;

    love unconditionally, like He does.

Digging that root out can be painful, but grace unfettered awaits!  I’m not saying it will be easy; you might just end up on your backside in the dirt!  

But it’s so worth it.  

Sitting in Darkness

I had been struggling for some time with the dark cloud that had been trying to envelop me.  Then on Christmas Eve Eve...you know, the day before Christmas Eve, it only took one comment in a conversation to take me over the edge.  And there I was, sinking deeper into the hole than I already was.  All of sudden it was just too much for me.  I was tired of fighting it off, and just tired, period.  All I wanted to do was get home to my bed and bury myself in it.  And I did.  

Between periods of sleep and tears, my mind went back to a verse of Scripture that I had highlighted in my thru-the-Bible daily reading from Micah on December 21st.  Something about falling, and darkness, and the enemy.  It was talking about me.  

    “Rejoice not against me , O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me...He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness.”  Micah 7: 8-9

I slept until time for our candlelight service.  I didn’t want to go, did not feel like going, but I did what I always do, I keep going, I push through because I’ve learned I’m better for it. The sleep and the prayerful tears, had strengthened me a bit.  The heaviness was weighing on me physically now though as it normally does after a while; headache, weak knees, tender muscles.  But I managed to begin the service with an opening carol on the piano, then sat down.  While Rog (my husband) spoke about the Light that had come into the world of darkness, giving us Christmas, I wandered back to the verse I had seen in Micah.  I knew the enemy was rejoicing against me.  I couldn’t pull myself out of the dark pit.  And I didn’t want to go any deeper.  I had already been struggling for months.  And it was Christmas for heaven’s sake!  I really wanted to be able to enjoy this time with my family.  I wanted to be able to worship unhindered and undistracted.  Sometimes I could do things that would help….rest, watch what I eat, and always I stay in my Bible.  Even when I read it and don’t remember what I’ve read, even if it’s just a verse, even if I just hold it and pray for God to bring it to memory when I don’t have it in me to read it...always, His Word is my stay.  

This time was no different. I was just unable to see the depression lift this time before I slipped deeper still into the dark hole. It was suffocating me, but I held on.  I kept going over and over the verses in Micah, and just thanking God for His love for me.  I knew He was holding me even in the darkness.  So regardless of how long it lasted or where it took me, He was with me.  He was going to bring me out to the Light again in His time.  His Word promised it.  

On Christmas Eve Roger and I were to go on cottage at the children’s home where we work.  We would just be there overnight.  I had slept most of the day. I tried to eat a bit of dinner since I had eaten nothing since our breakfast on the 23rd.  When I walked in, something broke.  By the time we were getting into bed I knew it was lifting.  I was exhausted, but excited because I knew God was working.  Christmas day would be different!  

The next morning Rog and I were up early, before the scheduled med time.  One of the girls, seeing me come from the kitchen with a cup of coffee, came to me for a hug after getting her meds, before heading back to bed.  She was struggling too, and I knew she was in somewhat of a dark hole herself, primarily of her own doing.  I asked if I could share a verse of Scripture that had helped me, and she said yes.  I shared Micah 7:8-9 and told her I was praying that she would be able to let Jesus be a light for her in her darkness.  We talked for a bit, and she was able to go lie down again. By the time we were leaving, I knew His light in me was getting stronger again.  Christmas would be merry and bright.  

My depression has been a lifelong struggle.  I’ve learned to manage it with the Lord’s help when I have an onset, but it never goes away completely.  It just hides for a while.  I’m just extremely grateful that in my darkest moments Christ has been there to comfort me, keep me from doing harm to myself, give me strength and resolve to not give up in despair, hope to hang on with confidence in His promises, and to give me joy, the deep ever-present joy of knowing Jesus loves me, has not and never will abandon me in my darkness and helplessness, keeps me safe in Him, and always brings me back.  

Sitting in darkness is only a reminder of how bright and beautiful my Savior’s light really is.  

December 26, 2015

Mad River Dash

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts….”

 

On Wednesday, I made a mad dash to the river over my lunch break.  As I was driving to “my spot” I just thanked the Lord that I live in such a beautiful place and that I worked closely enough to the river to be able to do this.  I pulled off and parked, rolled down the window and just listened and prayed.    The sound of the wind rustling through the trees, and the water rushing over the rocks was soul soothing.  It’s not “my beach”, but it’s a close second!  I was emotional, “worked up” over some things, letting myself get overwhelmed and out of sorts.  If I was going to get through the rest of the day and see it be productive…without snapping someone’s head off…I needed to seek out the Lord’s calm and help.   And just like God, He met me there.  I then took a few moments to renew my mind with some Scripture…thankful I had a signal on my phone and could pull up my Bible app!  I reflected back on my devotional reading from that morning then, it was back to work.   By the end of the day, I was surprised at how refreshed I was! 

 

But here I am again this morning…4:30 a.m. morning…once again seeking His peace.  That’s what happens when you go to bed with a troubled heart.  So when I opened my Bible app it didn’t surprise me to see this verse for the day from Colossians.  In fact, it made me smile.  For the second time this week, God was meeting me where I was and redirecting my focus back to Him, my Peace.  And not at the river this time, but in the quiet of my living room. 

 

There are so many things (and sometimes they’re big things) that happen in the course of a day that wear on my emotions.  And that’s most of my problem.  My emotions are like a roller coaster, and some days they take a huge hit.  At least now as I’ve grown in my walk with Christ, they’re more like the kiddy roller coasters.  The dips and turns aren’t nearly as huge!  But they still show up, because I feel things very deeply.  Those closest to me say “it’s the passion coming out”.  Passionate, that’s a nice way to put it I suppose!  I know that about myself and I’ve worked to temper the intensity because it’s usually misunderstood. I’ve come to accept that my strong personality is not always appreciated or understood.  So I’ve adapted, and it’s in these moments when I’m struggling with the side of me that may “come on strong” that I need God most.  It’s also especially difficult and awkward to try to explain why you are suddenly a bundle of tears.  I’d rather not.

 

Keeping my emotions in check is not a natural trait for me.  I also know it is best and right to allow the Spirit of God to control my emotions rather than allow them to control me.  People are a lot less likely to get hurt this way, and I enjoy life more.  My focus cannot be on how I feel because feelings are unstable and changing.  I do not make decisions based on how I feel.  I make decisions based on what is right because I may not always “feel” like doing the right thing.  Plus, I want “an others” focus, not a self-focus for my life, like Jesus. 

 

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”  (Phil 4: 7, NLT). 

 

So maybe this takes a mad dash to the river every once in a while.  But it’s worth it to experience the peace that really does surpass my understanding.