Can They Pick Us Out?

As I pulled into the parking space, I glanced up into the mirror and said, "Maddie, let's pray before we go inside, ok?" "NO!" came the response over a protruding bottom lip and furrowed eye brows. I quickly calculated the risk factors of this mood and nearness of nap time versus how much time I had left to buy birthday gifts. I decided the gifts necessitated the risk and I'd fly like the wind.

After a quick, Nehemiah style prayer for help and God's grace for my STRONG-willed toddler (emphasis on purpose), I dashed across the parking lot, through the front doors and plopped her into a shopping cart. You know the story...not five minutes into my expedition, Maddie began exercising her vocal chords while arching backwards angrily in the cart with such strange contortions, I thought "gymnastics might be in her future". Then I noticed it...

I could pretty much tell who were or had been mothers versus those who probably had not. Not 100%, but up there. One woman leaned across the aisle with a piece of Bubble Yum saying "Can she have this? It might help!" "No, but thank you. She's not two yet and she'd swallow it." Madigan saw an attempted transaction of a treat denied, so when the woman's hand withdrew, her decibel level increased. "Ohhhh, I wish you'd try it!" the woman said as she shoved the gum back in her purse and u-turned in the opposite direction. The next passerby gave such a disapproving scan, I almost blurted out, "If you just ignore her for a few more minutes, she'll stop!" Having way too much experience with child abuse cases, I didn't feel like risking being arrested if I used the spoon on my daughter's hand in public. Yes...I thought of going to the bathroom with her...after I got home.

But when I finally got to the shortest of two very long checkout lanes, I looked down at a pair of gorgeous, chestnut brown eyes blinking at me from a 3 year old girl. Her mother looked up and said "You know, mine just had an explosion on the other side of the store, so don't feel bad." I guess it was all over my face. The lady behind me chimed in with condolences and a sweet, Mother Goose figured lady in the next aisle nodded knowingly behind a tender smile. Ahhhhhh...my soul breathed a sigh of relief as I found myself encompassed by a crowd of "been there, done that" moms. An attendant quickly opened a new checkout lane and everyone hand-motioned me through first.

I was thinking, it should be just as easy to identify those who are the Christians in this world than those who are mothers in a store. Jesus said that the entire world will be able to identify us by our love. John 13:34, 35-"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." The love we have for one another and a passionate love for our God. It should be easy in a world filled with the kind of people described in 2 Timothy 3-selfish, proud, pleasure lovers rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power.

Wouldn't it be great then, when you find yourself in the midst of a trial or circumstance that has you stretched beyond your limits, you look up and find yourself surrounded by other Christians with tender smiles, encouraging words, and reassuring glances with willingness to help? Your eyes see other eyes that let you know they've "been there, done that" and can't wait to offer you the same comfort? I wanna be like that.

Don't think I'm gonna shop anytime soon though.

Our Tour Guide

Our church has one of the best tour guides when we go to Israel. Amir is a born-again Jew with a love for the Lord, the scriptures, and his native country. He has a fairly good singing voice and would often break out into Hebrew worship. I never sensed it was out of pride, just spontaneous love. The last time I was able to go to Israel, we were making our way through the lush, rolling hills of the upper Galilee during the poppy covered spring, and he stood in the bus with his convex chest and out-stretched arms rhetorically asking, "Isn't God's country the most beautiful place in the world?!"

Years as a tour guide helped him to know every mile of this nation and its history better than I know my own neighborhood. On a different day of the tour, we began to approach a military checkpoint and I saw Amir close his cellphone, stand with a creased forehead, down-turned eyebrows and give us detailed instructions of "do's and don't's". As the bus rolled to a stop, we were boarded by several armed soldiers who began to examine us and our bus thoroughly. My eyes were not on my husband...

They were glued to Amir. He knew the land, the people, the language, the dangers, served in the IDF (their military), and he'd just received current information that no one else had but him. We safely proceeded and Amir told a few of us later that he'd received a heightened security alert from the military and extra precautionary measures were being taken.

The scripture on my coffee cup this morning was Ps 32:8 "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." If I count on a tour guide for guidance, wisdom, direction and protection in a foreign country like Israel, how much MORE do I need to depend on the Lord in this country that is not my home? Our heavenly Father knows this worlds history current events and future. He has a relationship to the land as its Creator, sustainer, counter of its grains, and waterer of its flowers and grass blades. He knows the beauty of His creation that He'll draw our attention to often and He knows the precautions we need to take in its pitfalls and danger zones. He also knows every occupant in the land-their thoughts before they think them and the plans that are devised in every heart.

Jesus is such a wonderful guide for us that He's known as our Good Shepherd. He's promised to instruct, teach and guide us, but one thing is needful. "...I will guide thee with My eye", says the Lord. Eye contact is a prerequisite. In this particular verse, it's not His mouth or speech, but He invites us to look at Him. I know the difference between talking "at" Him and talking "with" Him. The difference is in my love level. He knows that if there is love in a heart, there will be eyes that long to look into the eyes of the one that heart adores. It's why He tells us, Ps 33:18 "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy." Ps 34:15 "The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous". He loves us with a depth that defies description or understanding, but true nonetheless.

May the eyes of your heart stay more fixed on the Lord's never-closed nor diverted eyes than I did Amir during our brief tour.

Lazyboy Recliners and Reality

I've erased my comments about the following video too many times to count. When in doubt, I don't...so I'll let you watch, "ponder", pray and whatever else the Lord shows you to do. Despite what you're about to see...remember this devotional from Spurgeon today,

"God is a Sanctuary For His People"

Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. (Ezekiel 11:16)

Banished from the public means of grace, we are not removed from the grace of the means. The Lord who places His people where they feel as exiles will Himself be with them and be to them all that they could have had at home, or in the place of their solemn assemblies. Take this to yourselves...God is to His people a place of refuge. They find sanctuary with Him from every adversary, He is their place of worship, too. He is with them as with Jacob when he slept in the open field, and rising, said, "Surely God was in this place," To them also He will be a sanctuary of quiet, like the Holy of Holies, which was the noiseless abode of the Eternal. They shall be quiet from fear of evil. Wherever the Lord has planted His people, though they feel alone, they are never alone but safe in the sanctuary of Himself.

What more do we need? O Lord, fulfill this promise and be ever to us as a little sanctuary! Now on to the 2 minute video...

Momentary Glimpses

Despite my battling illness on two fronts, the heat wave of 55 degrees was a royal invitation to come out of hibernation. Maybe "cabin fever" would qualify as a third illness, but there were no hurdles I was not prepared to jump. With a freshly fed baby, loaded diaper bag and upbeat worship music in the background, our salt covered van became heaven's chariot to remind me what life looked like outside of igloo walls in NY.

Whenever I drive I always tilt my rear view mirror in order to see the baby as well as out the back window. She's at the age where conversation is becoming a constant, with intermittent times of singing the alphabet song or Psalty's greatest hits. As I sat at a stoplight and glimpsed up in the mirror, I was struck by profound truths in mere seconds.

"Past roads glimpsed through dirty glass memories,
Future paths beckon in tinted window possibilities,
Reality stares in reflections of the present."

The Lord seemed to show me so many applications of His Word in that one glimpse that it filled my entire day with thoughts of Him and the scriptures. I'll leave it in His hands to expound to you individually if He'd choose. But I'm sure at least one verse is right at the edge of your thoughts as you read...

Home Inspections

For many years I worked as a home inspector for insurance companies. The essence of my job was to have specially trained eyes that looked for places on the outside and inside of a home that may be potentially hazardous, areas in need of repair, and then submit a report about its overall condition-from the foundation to the roof. The insurance company wanted to know if they should cover the property based upon the risk of future claims. It ruined my ability to ever again look at a house and see nothing but the beauty of it. When my husband and I looked at the home we have now, in interest of buying it 7 years ago, we got into the car afterwards and he asked me, "So honey...did you like the kitchen?" I was stunned. I'm the wife and yet had zero recall of that area. I remembered the heating ducts, copper plumbing, insulation issues, the drainage problem and the foundation.

I was reminded of this when I came across that familiar passage in Matthew 7:24-27 today. Jesus was a master carpenter and he was concerned about the foundation which people built their "dwelling places" on as well. He was able to see past the outward distractions of lavishly holy veneers and hypocritical garnishes. The "white" exterior that glistened from the world's sunlight reflected death to the eyes of the True Son (Matthew 23:27).

Mt 7:24-27 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

The Lord says we are all builders busy about constructing our lives, but we fit in only two categories: either builders on a solid rock foundation or unstable sand. There WILL be times of torrential downpours that beat upon all of our lives. Times when the shifting and forceful winds of change and circumstance will push against us and try and knock us down. There will be times where we feel flooded and overwhelmed in the midst of life's trials. Jesus had only one concern-the foundation. If the foundation of a life is secure and built correctly, nothing that comes against that life will shake it, knock it down, or bury it. It will withstand it all in great victory.

Who would NOT want to live in a house with that kind of guarantee? How much more if it applies to our very own lives? Only one thing is needed. The Carpenter of our soul says "Listen to Me and DO what I say." That's it. If we read His Word, listen to Him in prayer or in Bible studies, it means nothing until we DO what we have been told to do. Obedience=Solid Rock foundation.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Ps 62:7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the Rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

I'd love for the Lord to inspect my life and find that there are no cracks in my foundation or holes that make it vulnerable. If there are...there is always a remedy in the cement of repentance and sealant of obedience applied with the power of the Holy Spirit. God bless you today.

Word + Heart + Patience = Fruit

After yesterday's retreat and recalling a few lessons the Lord taught me while on the mission field, I stumbled across a devotional this morning that I haven't seen in years. The entry was one that He had spoken directly to my heart in further preparation to leave the country. I'm going to copy it here and pray it blesses you wherever the Lord may send you today.

Luke 8:15 "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

An official of a mission board, who knew it takes more than just desire to make a missionary, was appointed to examine a candidate for the mission field. He told the young man to be at his house at six o’clock in the morning. The young man complied and arrived a six o’clock sharp. The examiner kept him sitting alone in the room until ten. Then he finally came in and said abruptly, ”Young man, can you write your name? A little taken aback by the simplicity of his question, the man paused. Before he could get a word out, the examiner blurted, “What, you don’t know what it is?” The mission board official put him through a series of questions of that nature and then went to report to the mission board.

“Okay,” he said, “he will do.” I tried his patience for hours and hours and he did not break down; Then I insulted him and he did not lose his temper. This candidate answered with patience, fortitude, and gentleness. His faith was vindicated by the very quality of his character. He will make a good missionary.”

Whether we realize it or not — we all are in the mission field. Our patience is bound to be tested in ways we’ve never imagined and we’ll most likely find it unfair and unkind at times. But standing strong in the Lord in the face of offensive treatment and enduring seasons of long-suffering is a testimony in and of itself — and that will win souls!

Are you weary from the walk? Get your second wind! Count it all joy! You have endured much and you will see victory! Not only here on earth but when we meet the Lord!