Sledgehammer Seasons

Today’s post comes to you from the interior of my car.  No, I am not typing and driving, though some of you would not put it past me.  Hubster is at the helm, and we are traveling to the funeral of one of his long-time friends, a dear one he has known for over 45 years.  A dear one who now rests in the arms of his Savior.  And to Jim’s friends and family today feels like a sledgehammer day.

What is a miracle?  Some would say that it is some grandiose event that causes people to gasp in amazement at the sheer goodness of it.  These are flagrant, outrageous miracles.  Some miracles ARE like that…stupefying.  Often, a miracle is defined as God doing what we want Him to do in a situation that threatens to beat us into the ground, leaving us lying there, a bloody mess.

The greatest majority of miracles, though, go unrecognized, unseen.  Ann Voskamp reminds us of Naomi as an example of a sister who had been so hammered by the heart-rending events of her life, she was blind to the miracle unfolding around her.   I can’t self-righteously condemn Naomi because I have reacted the same way to adversity, haven’t you?   Been so wracked with pain that I could not see God’s hand of redemption, could not see how He was using my situation for His glory, could not see how He would ever, ever restore what had been lost?

The other night I watched the autobiographical movie, produced by Dolly Parton, called Coat of Many Colors.  There was a Naomi story, for sure.  Dolly was about 8 when her mother became pregnant with her 9^th child. (I may be misremembering the numbers...) She and her husband had been very fertile, and Mrs. Parton had birthed a new baby just about every year for several years.  Still, the family was very excited about the new baby on the way.  Mrs. Parton had told Dolly this baby would be “hers” to help raise.  They had guessed he would be a boy, and they had named him “Larry”.  God, in His sovereignty, chose to call Larry home, before he could fully develop.  Larry died shortly after birth.  What a sledgehammer moment!  In addition to that, the Partons were, as Dolly’s daddy described it, “the second poorest family in Sevier County”.  But, the truth which dragged Dolly’s mother down the most was the knowledge that her beloved husband was not a believer in Jesus Christ.  All of these circumstances conspired to throw her into a deep depression and to rip apart her relationship with her husband and family.

When she began to emerge from this, she took the baby blanket she had made for Larry, ripped and rearranged it, and made a “coat of many colors”, a patchwork coat, for Dolly.  Such a beautiful picture of how God takes the most broken pieces and weaves them into something new and spectacular.  Dolly had her own Naomi road to walk, as she grieved for her baby brother.  It took her a long time to see God’s hand at work.  What Satan meant for evil, God transformed for good.  Mrs. Parton’s gifted daughter went on to become the songbird God had created her to be, one who has inspired millions.

God delights in doing His greatest works with the least “resources”.  I’m reminded of that verse, “He has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the mighty.”

For many, the “holiday season” is particularly brutal; the hammer hits particularly hard.  JOY is abundant, swirling around the broken like a suffocating mist.

 It is in our own personal weaknesses that we must look for His miraculous power.  He has not left or abandoned us in those Naomi times.  Just as Advent is the promise of His coming, just as He brought Great Light to a hopeless people, those “who walked in darkness”, He is busy, doing His impossible, perfect work.  Ann says, “Brilliant people don’t deny the dark; they are the ones who never stop looking for His light in everything.”  I don’t think she means “brilliant” in the sense of “extremely smart”.  I think she is referring to those who are so radiantly filled with Jesus, the Light of Life, that they shine brilliantly, resplendently, exploding with God’s Spirit, the Divine Sledgehammer who is able to break all darkness into pieces.

Father, I love the story of Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, Obed, Jesse and David.  Out of one woman’s greatest loss, your blessings came rolling on, like a tsunami wave.  And now, she is known not as Naomi the Bitter, but as Naomi the Blessed, Naomi the Great-Great-Grandmother of David, the greatest king the Hebrews had known, the one who was only eclipsed in glory by his descendant, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  What redemption!  What restoration!  What glory! May His blessed name be forever praised, amen.

Source:

Voskamp, Ann. The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas. 

The Ark of His Grace

Greetings, you "overachievers"!

All of you who think "it's never good enough".  All of you who always "bite off more than you can chew" because you want every, single moment of your life to be highly significant.

I know you. I know you, because I am you.

If we are not careful, we will find the waves of this season, this LIFE, sweeping us off our feet, washing over our heads, paralyzing our lungs, dashing us onto the perilous rocks.  

When you've had less than 6 hours of sleep

When you are having your devotions between work assignments (observing teachers today)

When you have 135 half-tagged soap dispenser gifts in your car, unready for this afternoon's delivery

When, at 11:15 p.m. last night you swallowed your pride and begged your husband to clean up the dinner dishes  (and thank the sweet Lord, he did!)

When you are behind in your grading

When you are behind in your shopping

When you don't know your music for the Christmas program

When you feel a cold coming on

When your neck is tight and your stomach sour because your loved one just told you he has to have surgery

When nothing is on the news except news which terrifies and we think, "my child's future?"

All of the above

When you think the waves of this day, this week, this season are going to roll right over you...

Climb aboard, and breathe.  Breathe in great, deep draughts of your Lord.

When the fountains of the deep burst open and the tears of a holy, broken-hearted God rained down upon the earth, there was an ark.  The rampant sin that had so swallowed up nearly every family on the face of the earth, that had corrupted nearly every family's human bloodline broke the huge heart of God.  Because the human race was on the brink of total destruction from its sin, because His boundless heart breaks for what hurts us ...

His heart was filled with pain.  

Genesis 6:6

There is still an ark today, and His name is Jesus.  Climb aboard, Christian.  You have found favor with the Lord.  You have a safe harbor in the Lord.  This is His magnificent, matchless gift to you!

When we climb aboard His ark of refuge, as we go about our daily walk of faith, He assures us that He is there for us in the midst of life's very worst circumstances.  

I read a comment on Facebook recently.  It was from a new widow.  Her Facebook friend had commented that this great lady was missed in an activity they had formerly shared.  The widow assured her friend that she will be back.  But, for now, she is in a time of pulling back as she weathers the storm, wrapped in her Savior's arms.  God's grace and peace wait for her there.  They wait there for you and me too.

Don't you ever believe that our God is some remote, disinterested monarch, watching us from a distance.  No.  

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

"15For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Hebrews 4:15-16

That's my Jesus!  Climb aboard the ark of His grace!  

Lord, I am so grateful that we find ourselves nearly suffocated by our efforts to "walk worthy", you teach us to breathe.  You beckon us to come and let the ark of You be our refuge, to let it buoy us and refresh us.  You shower Your grace all over us in that place.  It is there You remind us that Your grace is sufficient for all moments, both beautiful and terrible.  Thank you for holding us securely, in Your loving embrace of grace, while the storm passes by.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Holiday Perseverance and Discernment

Good morning,

This is not going to be my typical post, as it has not been a typical morning.  Yesterday was like "Thanksgiving Celebration 1", with my husband's side of the family's event and then our church's Thanksgiving Feast last night.  The youth had a "lock-in" afterwards.  My part to help with the latter was to be at the church this morning in order to have breakfast set up for 70 or so kids by 6:00 a.m., and then get them all picked up by 8:15.  With that mission accomplished, I came home to greet the appliance repairman, who could not stay because the 2-person job was short one technician.  Then, it was to care for the sick turtle, feed the dog, potty the dog, etc.  Before I knew it, it was nearly 10:00. After this, it will be on to decorating the house for Christmas....if I'm not too distracted to do so.
'Tis the season.

In the midst of all this, I read 2 Corinthians 11:16-33.  In this passage Paul was telling the Corinthians about his experiences as a missionary-evangelist-church planter.  It is sobering to read of all he endured:

• 39 lashes with the whip on 5 separate occasions
• beaten with a cane ("caning") on 3 separate occasions
• stoned once
• shipwrecked three times, and one of those was drifting in the ocean for a day and night
• in danger from a number of sources most of the time
• let down in a rope basket, through a window in the city wall
• sleepless nights
• hungry and thirsty many times
• falsely accused and in prison on several occasions, for a total of 5-6 years
• always, during all the above, anxiously concerned for the young churches

When I look at this list, I realize that my minor challenges are, well....minor.  It helps me regain perspective!  The reason Paul shared all this with the Corinthians was to establish his credibility as a true apostle of Jesus Christ.  He references the false apostles who had been beguiling the Corinthians, in verses 12-15 (NET).

12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.

I'm not gifted with a great deal of discernment, when it comes to examining other people.  My husband has an abundance of that gift.  But, I'm grateful for when God does give me an extra helping.

Certainly, Satan opposed Paul, because of how he was spreading the gospel so diligently and faithfully.  While satanic opposition can be a validation of a person's ministry, the greater proof is whether or not the believer stays true to the Word of God.  It is sad to contemplate the reality that there are false prophets in the midst of The Body.  But, it is certain that there are.  Like their true master, they disguise themselves as the holiest of the holy.  While we may be deceived, God is never fooled.  He knows His own.

One thing I've noticed is that the "wolves in sheep's clothing" are often prideful.  They draw attention to their "accomplishments" as if they were responsible.  Their eyes are on themselves.  After all, again, they are following the example of their true master, the evil one, whose pride led to his eternal downfall.  True servants of the Most High God know that they are incapable (in and of themselves) of any good thing.  They recognize that it is His Spirit at work in them that accomplishes His will, and they give Him the glory for it.  They keep their eyes firmly fixed on Him.

So, here we have two valuable "litmus tests":  

• are they in-line with the Word of God as revealed in Scripture?  and 
• are they humble?

Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord!  

Dear Father, thank you for discernment and perseverance in the face of various types of trials.  No matter what my brothers and sisters are enduring today, Lord, give them your strength and your comfort.  Some of them are dealing with anxiety, loneliness, sickness, pain, fear, persecution. Whatever our challenges today, may we keep our eyes firmly fixed on You, our Savior.  In Jesus' name, amen.