Up from the Dirt

 

“If things are tough, remember that every flower that ever bloomed had to go through a whole lot of dirt to get there.”

I love this quote by Barbara Johnson. Remembering that the process matters as much as the end result is not always welcomed. But it is so necessary. Life is just as much about the journey as the destination. 

The challenge is enjoying the journey when the going gets rough. Where is the joy when life seems to be all uphill, throwing the unexpected and undesired at us like pop-up downpours in the spring? 

Determine you will look at that uphill climb and say, “Let’s do this, Lord!” I am more than a conqueror with you as my faithful Guide and Companion. Turn your face upward in the downpour and let Jesus wash over you with His peace and promises, not forgetting to praise Him in the turbulent times. He knows where you are. He knows what you need. That Truth often fades when the need is greatest. 

The beauty of flowers in bloom always makes me smile…when I stop to notice them. I especially love jonquils and other wildflowers. And rarely do I think about the seeds and bulbs under the pile of dirt BEFORE that beautiful bloom appears. I’m just lost in the end result…the colors, the shapes, the fragrance! 

Yes, we may feel at any given time we’re lost under a heavy clod of dirt just weighing us down. The weight of what we are carrying leaves us wondering when we’ll see the light of day and the pressure will lift.  But Jesus is in the process! He is the One that plants us where we’re supposed to be and cares for us. Don’t forget He is right there with you, giving you the strength to keep pushing your way up through the dirt. He sees the end result, the beauty in the struggle and the sweet fragrance He knows our lives will be —-if we can trust Him to do His work in and through us. If we can just trust His plan, His timing, His care, that He is ever growing us; that He can bring something beautiful and meaningful from it all. 

His presence on the journey makes all the difference. We are setting ourselves up for failure to try to go it on our own. Settle in on His promises. Embrace His peace. Trust His plan. The time to bloom again will come. 

We just have to trust Him while still in the dirt. 

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

Note: The pic is from Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, Utah. A gorgeous place to visit if you ever have the chance! A favorite place when visiting our son and his family living in Spanish Fork, UT.

A Shipwrecked Faith

A post from November 2022:

 “It is our responsibility to “be on guard’. We have to be aware of the dangers to our faith and do what is necessary to provide satan no open door to our hearts. 

I don’t know what dangers to your faith there might be, or where you may be tempted to be lax in your faith journey. I just know the Scripture admonishes us to be alert, watchful, vigilant, to see our faith strengthened. We are to be continually “growing in grace and the knowledge of our Savior” (2 Peter 3:18). Are you growing? Do you know more of Jesus today than yesterday? A year ago? What hardships or challenges may have sidelined you, or brought you up short of His grace and peace and joy? What has dulled your senses to the glories of Christ? 

Don’t be ignorant of the dangers to your faith. Don’t disregard the warning signs. It may be as simple as a subtle shift in thinking, an annoyance, a distraction, an unresolved offense. It may be physical pain or even a tragedy that shakes the very foundations of all we believe. It happens when we least expect it, catching us off guard. Just be aware. Stay in the Word. Stay connected with your church and community of believers. Stay sensitive to the Spirit’s quiet promptings. Stay in worship mode - prayer, gratitude, giving, worship and praise music, service to others. 

Don’t find yourself stranded along your faith journey.” 

I made this post, never thinking for a minute that I would see someone I love dearly in a spiritually dangerous place, going their own way to “be true to themselves”, disregarding God’s Word and walking away from the ones that love them most, to follow their own mind about life and choices. Whether it was out of genuine concern for the hurt the truth would cause, fear of confrontation, or maybe some other very real and personal reason, they hid what they really believed for a very long time, quietly and subtly distancing themselves from family and other believers. Church attendance, worship, fellowship continued…on the surface, until eventually the choice was made to just walk away from it all. It culminated in being self-absorbed, consumed with how they felt and who they believed they must be at the expense of those they loved. But what of their faith? Did they abandon it? Were they ever truly a believer? 

Paul speaks of a shipwrecked faith in 1 Timothy 1:19; 

     “For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.” 

Because our own choices are the only ones we can control, it is a helpless feeling, and devastating to see someone you love willfully disregarding God’s Word and openly embracing sin. It is hard to stand by and watch as they make choices based on feelings and a philosophy of life contrary to God’s Truth. It is painful to see them distancing themselves from Jesus, and as a result, from you and their godly family and community of believers. There is rejection, grief, feelings of betrayal.  How did it happen? When did it begin? Were there indicators to the fact that their mind and heart was changing? Were their needs and struggles, questions that needed answers? 

Feelings are a powerful motivator. It is emotionally exhausting to be constantly battling with what seem to be uncontrollable feelings, leaving many to feel helpless and confused. It is easier to just give in. And there is no short supply of influencers standing ready to empower, educate, and lure us and our loved ones away from the very One that provides healing, worth and contentment. Others are simply reacting, from abuse, loneliness, temptation, thoughts of having ‘missed out’ in some way. Whatever the reason, this is happening all too often.

In John 6:59-69, Jesus teaches some “hard things”. His teachings were somewhat offensive, going against the grain of current cultural beliefs and the religious system of the day. Jesus experienced hurt and rejection as many turned back from following Him.  He asked his disciples, “Will you also go away?” Peter’s answer helps us gain understanding and confidence in dealing with the fact that many will be offended at His Truth. Many will begin to question their beliefs as they are bombarded with philosophies and ideas that seem to bring some relief from the pull to “be true to self”. Many will go away. But to Whom will we go?

“To Whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  John 6: 68-69

To Whom shall we go? 

We go to Jesus. Don’t get lost in all the hurt, the grief, the heartbreak. Don’t get caught up in the differences and disagreements. Take it to Jesus, often, always! Don’t let it negatively impact your relationship with Jesus. Be careful that concern does not turn to worry. Feed on His word. Worship. Pray. Allow the Spirit of God to minister grace to your own heart so you can be focused and fearless in fighting for the spiritual well-being of your loved one. Have others pray with you as you can. They are worth the time and effort spent. As time goes on, it can become easy to give up hope, to get distracted and move into a comfortable separation, or begin to believe that nothing can be done about what has happened, so why keep thinking about it? Think about it, dwell on it, but only in terms of love and prayer and hope. In Luke 15, when the prodigal son “came to himself” and decided he needed to go home to his father, he found that “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him….” (v.20). We go to Jesus, and anticipate the homecoming. 

You have the words of eternal life. 

Be reminded of what really matters, and that’s eternity. The sacred Scripture is power. It is life-giving. It is eternal. Pray and believe the promises of God for loved ones, and keep praying, that God will remind them and bombard them with His love and Truth; that they will remember things they have been taught and perhaps have known since a young child; that they will be assured and assaulted with Who Jesus is—-He is the Son of the Living God. Think and pray from an eternal perspective about His care for their soul. After all, the most important thing is that they be brought back into a right relationship with Jesus, or if they never truly knew Him, that they come to know Him in a real and personal way as Savior. Yes, their sin does impact us, and others. But this is not about us. God heals our hearts, and theirs, as we surrender our hurt and hearts to Him. 

Words.   

Continue to love. This may sound like a given. But often it is the expression of our love that becomes extremely difficult. Often what our loved ones desire is our affirmation and endorsement of their behavior and choices. They want us to affirm that what they are doing is acceptable. They may accuse us of being unloving and unsupportive when we cannot condone or support their choices. Continue to love, even from a distance if need be. Love, and pray, and always be available. The most unloving thing we can do is dismiss Truth and enable our loved ones to believe we are not bothered by their sinful choices. If they choose to believe that by loving, we must agree and support them in their sin, that is a choice they make. And yes that may alienate them for a time. They may pull away, and this is what most are afraid of. They don’t want to risk the separation. It may even be viewed as a lost opportunity. But it also gives God space to work. He doesn’t need us to do His work for Him. 

Please understand. Attitudes, opinions, prejudices, personal judgments, verbal attacks, condemnation, arrogance…these push people away. But God’s Word shared in genuine love for what is best for the one loved, is what is needed. Trust Him for the opportune times to do this. Truth shared may still offend, but people should never be offended by the way we share it. Just find every opportunity to let your loved ones know they are loved beyond measure, by you and Jesus. He loves them even more than we ever could. He truly does understand them. What we affirm is in God’s sight they are valued and precious. Send a text. Write a letter.  And just be available. Wait for the opportunity to “run and embrace”, “filled with love and compassion”, as the prodigal father did. God will impress you with ways to practically express your love when you seek Him, when you can get past the personal hurt and how you feel, and just love. 

Just keep praying. Just keep loving. That’s what we can choose to do. 

Dangers to Faith

 Dangers to your faith. I was struck with this phrase in my daily devotional. Hindrances, hang-ups, but 

dangers? Are they what I think they might be? After all, satan is subtle, deceptive:

         

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring

lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand strong against him and be strong in 

your faith.”  I Peter 5:8-9 NLT

When I was in high school, I went out to my car at the end of the day to head home. I turned the key just like every other day, only this time it would not start. When I called my dad, he decided to send out a wrecker. This totally embarrassed and annoyed me. I was just out of gas! But the back story is key. You see, this was not the first time this had happened. My dad had been dealing with me about watching my gauges, making time for routine maintenance, and paying attention to warning signs that would indicate a problem. It was best to be preventive than be neglectful and cause major issues, or to find myself stranded somewhere (there were no cell phones in those days!). He continued to remind me that vehicles need three things to run efficiently…gas, oil, and other fluids, and it was my responsibility to make sure my car had those three things. I was simply ignoring that responsibility and all the signs. So now? I was dealing with the consequences…it turned out to be much more serious than just being out of gas. Does anyone know what a cracked engine block is? Well I do unfortunately, and I learned at a young age. It was a costly repair and one that left me without my car for about a week. And something simple like noticing my oil light, could have prevented this.  Did it place me in any immediate danger? No. This time I was just inconvenienced. But failed brake lines could have. Again, simple things looked at carefully during routine maintenance checks could prevent dangerous situations…if I would be aware of the dangers, pay attention to the warning signals, and take the time for regular maintenance checks.  

Our spiritual lives can often feel that way…like we’re coasting along, no problems, believing everything is fine.  We mindlessly travel this faith journey, not sensing any immediate spiritual dangers. We are not looking for them. But neglect and just plain ignorance can be dangerous, especially when our “great enemy” is lurking about just waiting for an opportunity to pounce. We’re easily lulled into passivity and lassitude. Or perhaps a tiny temptation presents itself when we’re most vulnerable. 

It is our responsibility to “be on guard’. We have to be aware of the dangers to our faith and do what is necessary to provide satan no open door to our hearts. 

I don’t know what dangers to your faith there might be, or where you may be tempted to be lax in your faith journey. I just know the Scripture admonishes us to be alert, watchful, vigilant, to see our faith strengthened and steadfast. We are to be continually “growing in grace and the knowledge of our Savior” (2 Peter 3:18). Are you growing? Do you know more of Jesus today than yesterday? A year ago? What hardships or challenges may have sidelined you, or brought you up short of His grace and peace and joy? What has dulled your senses to the glories of Christ? 

Don’t be ignorant of the dangers to your faith. Don’t disregard the warning signs. It may be as simple as a subtle shift in thinking, an annoyance, a distraction, an unresolved offense. It may be physical pain or even a tragedy that shakes the very foundations of all we believe. It happens when we least expect it, catching us off guard. Just be aware. Stay in the Word. Stay connected with your church and community of believers. Stay sensitive to the Spirit’s quiet promptings. Stay in worship mode - prayer, gratitude, giving, worship and praise music, service to others. 

Don’t find yourself stranded along your faith journey.

How "R" You?

Some days I just want the day to end. I want to go to bed, wake up and just get a new day started. Have you been there? Are you there now?

I’m in a season of caregiving for my mother-in-law, and some days are just hard. It’s a constant struggle to keep her comfortable, be patient and compassionate; not take the cutting remarks personally; to not be able to do anything right; handle the negativity, the lack of joy. She struggles with Jesus not taking her home, but instead letting her linger in her condition. I get it. That’s hard too. I don’t know what I will be like when my homegoing draws close, but I know what I want it to be like. So I commit daily to being Jesus to her, sometimes moment by moment. Do I fail? Yes, sometimes miserably…thus the desire to just see the day end and be able to start over!! I’m learning lessons again, being stretched in my faith again, being pressed to prayer again in ways that only this wonderful time could bring my way. 

What season are you in? Life has a way of throwing rocks at us, beating us down. Some would call it being dealt a terrible hand, or perhaps fate. No, even when life happens, God is still in charge. He is still so very good. Some things are easier to deal with than others, no doubt. But we all have those things that discourage, disappoint, defeat, demean, disillusion, even make us doubt the God that made us, that saved us, that walks with us. Oh those devilish “D” words!!  

When the heat is on and the emotions are raw, it’s tough to remember the God who loves us beyond what we can understand and that He has not abandoned us to ourselves or our situations. I sat down this week, completely deflated (another D word!) and tried to get myself together. I was dull with trying to push back against how things were making me feel. I picked up my journal and leafed back through the last year or so.  God had been so very good. His timing was perfect at every turn. I walked through some of the tough decisions and challenges, making a point to read the Scripture and prayers I had recorded. I came away with some “R’s” to replace those “D’s”.

REST!  How “R” you? You may need to rest. One of my sons recently shared a conversation he was having with his daughter about a relationship issue. He encouraged her to “do the right thing, then rest in Truth.”  What sound admonishment. It’s one thing to know God’s Truth.  It’s quite another to rest in it, letting it guide our thoughts and behaviors, letting it control our concerns with outcomes. Resting in Truth is freeing. It brings all the promises of God to our disposal. But we have to know Truth and appropriate Truth for it to work its wonder in our lives and daily ups and downs. And biblical, authoritative Truth is relative to every situation. 

REACH!  How “R” you? You may need to reach. Hurtful people, painful times, are just the times to practice in an even more intentional and determined way the kindness of Christ. Once pummeled, it’s challenging to respond and react with grace, kindness, humility, goodness. But we have to keep reaching out, even to those that don’t appreciate it, don’t want it, don’t respect it, are oblivious to it. And we do that because the love of Christ compels us to, it honors Him. It ministers grace and peace and joy to our own hearts. It makes a difference. If not in the other person, in us. 

REFOCUS! How “R” you? You may need to refocus. Satan loves to distract. There it is, another D word!  Become quickly acquainted with Satan’s ways and wiles, seducing our attention away from the sacred, away from the Savior’s sweet grace and the awareness of His presence with us. When the doubts surface…and they will…do not believe the lies. You are loved. You are enough. You are His beloved child. You are forgiven. You are able. He makes all this possible. One distraction leads to another and before we know it we are far removed from the joy, the peace, the wisdom, the strength, the grace we need and enjoy, because the distractions have crowded out time in His Word, time being quiet in His presence, soaking in His nearness and love. Often even good things can distract, keeping us busy, leaving us wondering what happened. Where is the joy?  Where is the peace of mind and grateful heart? Where is the determination to do the right thing? Where is the strength to stay the course? It can evaporate in the distractions. Refocus your heart and mind on the person of Jesus. Go back to the priority of praise and prayer and time in the Word. This will get you through. 

REJOICE!  How “R” you? You may need to break out in praise! Rejoicing is easier when things are going well, when what we normally view as “blessings” are flowing. It’s in our nature to smile and laugh and be joyful in the absence of obstacles, challenges, problems, difficulties, pain, heartbreak, loss. And we don’t often think of those things as blessings. This is when we have to step back and separate how we feel from what we know to be true!! We may not be able to change what is happening at any given moment, and we don’t have to deny or dismiss how we feel. But we have to choose to be joyful, to praise God always. To lift our hearts and hands to Him in grateful, genuine praise. Not because we’ve been spared life’s blows, but in spite of them. Hard times, waiting times, happy times, alone times, all.the.times.!!  Rejoicing always changes our perspective and lifts us above the oppressive clouds and enables us to see the Son again!  

REVISIT!  How “R” you? When is the last time you took a moment to revisit God at work in the details of your life?  Go back often to the times and places you saw the faithfulness of God. Revisit the miraculous moments, the lessons learned, the victories, the dark times. It will serve to strengthen your resolve to trust Him more. It will give you reason to rejoice again. You will see Him strong and faithful on your behalf and be reminded that He does not change. I keep a journal and I do this often. In dark times, these journals take me back. All the raw emotion, the sharp pain, the wondering and waiting. But I also see where the Lord has brought me from and it gives me a fresh perspective on where I am now. By His great grace, I am and will be ok because He is great and good. He has been faithful in the past. He will be faithful always. 

How “R” you, really? I pray you can rest, reach, refocus, rejoice, and revisit God’s greatness and goodness, especially if you’re in a rough spot. You may find some additional “R’s” of your own to encourage your heart. I hope you are good. 

But when we’re not, Jesus still is. 

There Was Jesus

The darkness quickly settled over me again, like it sometimes will.  My whole life. It’s been there. Hiding. Waiting. Waiting for my most vulnerable moments. Moments I should be stronger. More Christlike. More patient. More forgiving. Less angry. Less hurt. More, and less…of everything. 

But Jesus. Sweet Jesus.  He knows.  He always knows, and meets me where I am.  When I’m too tired. Too frail.  Too weary.  When it’s all too much. When I just want to be done. When I just want it all to go away. 

But then…it has never been about me holding onto Him. Reaching, begging, crying, straining to get a grip…no, it has only and always been about Him holding me. It’s about Him cradling me, His child, with great grace. With unfailing love and mercies that truly are new every morning like His Word says, and I know why. Because—-I.need.them. Every.day.  

This time was no different. You would think by now I could ward it off, see it coming. Prepare myself, prevent it somehow. Do something. 

But no, most times I just can’t. Sometimes before I can call out in prayer, or go to the Word, or take a deep breath, there it is again. Enveloping me in it’s hideous blackness. Causing me to hate myself. My failure. My frailty. My lack of faith. Descending on me, ruthless to seal the defeat with hardness. Wanting me to just say it. There’s no hope. 

What I know?  That He relentlessly comes to me with gentle nudges to listen, to obey, and to wait as He ministers to me. Gentle nudges to turn the worship music up—LOUD. Gentle whispers to grab my Bible, and even if I can’t read it, to hold it—tightly, closely. Gentle stirrings to just wait, weep, and let His love caress me. To let His song sing over me, drawing my heart’s gaze upward. To let the groanings of my soul make their way heavenward until I am resting. Quietly just resting. Resting in Grace. Being held. Being healed. 

As He sings over me I know I will sing again, maybe even today. I will find the circumstances under my feet as I lift my heart and hands to Him. The current moment of darkness does not define me. Does not control me. Will not gain the upper hand because…

I belong to Him. His love for me is almost unbelievable. But I DO believe. And He comes to me and proves His love and faithfulness all over again. I am able to pick up the Word and read it’s comforting message. An empowering message. A message of love and untold compassion for one He died for, one He lives through by His Sweet Spirit. For one He holds and carries and forgives and embraces. 

There will be other dark seasons. I know. I have lived a thousand of them. But because I belong to Him, I am not alone in the darkness. I may struggle to breathe. I may struggle to pray. I may struggle to open myself again to love and to give. But I will. Not because I’m able to somehow get a grip. No, it’s about Jesus’ grip on me. 

The darkness has no hold on me. 

Because of Jesus. 

“He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains. Let them praise the Lord for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.” 

Psalms 107:14-15

When is the last time you stopped to gaze...at anything?  I mean really took a moment to soak in the awe and beauty of….something?  A softly falling snow. A wild daffodil smiling at the sun. A mountain mist.  A wistful waterfall.  A glowing red sky.  An ocean swell.  

Beauty all around us, but are you capturing it? Captivated by it? Or missing it?

 “See beauty and we know it in the marrow, even if we have no words for it:  Someone is behind it. Beauty Himself completes.”  AnnVoskamp

The catch?  We have to “see” it.  To know genuine undeniable beauty, to know it in our bones so that it moves us and mesmerizes us...draws us to worship Beauty Himself, we have to see it.  And there’s so much...so very much that gets in the way.  

What’s keeping you from “seeing” clearly?  What’s today’s death of distraction?  A crying toddler that you can’t seem to console?  A mountain of paperwork?  Finances out of control? Relationship on the rocks? Does looking ahead look daunting?  

Exhausted much?  Mentally drained much?  Disillusioned much?  

Stop and smell the coffee.  Stop and see the daffodils bobbing their bells in the breeze.  Catch a glimpse of that bright, beautiful cardinal flitting through the tree branches, flashes of red in the gray.  And remember, Jesus is there.  Beauty Himself is there.  You’re not alone.  

I can’t explain how it makes a difference but it does.  Maybe it’s because Beauty is so full of Love.  And Love compels and completes.  

The madness may not go away anytime soon.  The paperwork will be waiting.  The toddler will still be throwing a tantrum.  The finances will always need attention.  The relationship matters and requires work, lots of work.And the future couldn’t be more uncertain.  But Jesus wants you to know He’s there, waiting for your wistful eye to cast it’s gaze upon Him and be stirred.  Strengthened.  Encouraged.  Awed.  Lifted above all the noise to a moment of immeasurable peace. A moment with Him.  

“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, 

To gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.”  

                                                                          Psalm 27:4

In a moment, the Maker can make your day with His unexplainable beauty.  

Don’t miss it.  

 “Let me hear joy and gladness.”  Psalm 51:8

The challenges continue.  I wrote in my journal this week, “He’s still parting the waters!”  And God truly is still doing some amazing things, even amidst the clamor of life; Covid is still here, closures continue, educators, parents and students are exhausted and frustrated. Schedules are fluid and there is little structure and routine.  All of society seems on edge. 

But I don’t always see the amazing.  All of society aside, some days I’m consumed with what seems like an episode of Survivor…all the distractions and demands of an ordinary day that push me to my limits physically, emotionally…and spiritually.  I hear nothing but noise.  The noise of a culture consumed by selfishness, lying, laziness, disrespect.  

It’s often hard to return personal assaults with continued grace and patience and kindness….with love, the way Jesus loves me.  But it’s what He wants.  People, young and old alike, are frustrated and hurting for a variety of reasons. They’re often stressed and depressed.  People need the Lord, and I may be the only way they’ll ever see their need and find His amazing love for them.  I can’t let the negative noises be the loudest, tempting me to return unkindness with unkindness, or to begin to only think of myself. 

Psalm 51:8 is in the heart of a chapter about David’s great remorse over his grievous sin of adultery and murder.  He cries out to God for forgiveness and healing, for God’s Spirit to continue to be upon him.  David met with the consequences of his sin, but he met them with that forgiveness and healing that God made available, always makes available to his children.  He met the consequences with God’s promises and His unfailing love. 

Perhaps my sin wasn’t as grievous as David’s, but it grieved God just the same.  The consequences may vary, but sin is sin.  It needs confession and forgiveness.  And I’ll say it again because it is a wonderful thing…God ALWAYS makes it available. 

      “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  (I John 1:9)

A few days ago I was hearing anything but joy and gladness.  But God met me where I was with His wisdom, His answers.  That day It came from one of my wonderful sons who listened to my hurt and frustration through tears, then chuckled and said, “Mom!  Don’t let their attitudes and actions change yours! Keep doing the right thing. Let God do the rest.”  He was right.

Today it came directly from this passage of Scripture.  “LET ME HEAR JOY AND GLADNESS!”  As I asked my Father to drown out the negative noises it became clear to me that with His help I can hear joy and gladness above all the clamor.  But it depends on what I’m listening to, what’s gaining my ear.

Listen to the noise of need.  Sometimes it expresses itself in hurtful attacks, disrespect, selfishness, rejection, sneering, unkindness.  React with kindness.  React with grace.  Take it to Jesus.  And when you take it to heart instead of taking it to Jesus?  Those times you blow it? Take that to Jesus too and find Him ready and willing to forgive and restore and move you forward by His grace.

 

What are you hearing?