Blessings?

The song by Laura Story has really found a place in the crevices of my heart..

What if your blessings come in raindrops?  What if your healing comes through tears? 

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near? 

 We pray for blessings, peace and comfort.   We pray for wisdom; angry that we can't feel you near.  ALL the while, you hear.  What if the trials in this life are mercies in disguise?

In this life, this is how I see Jesus but it's surely not the way I would choose.  If I were God, would I bless through sleepless nights?  Bring healing through tears?  Be present, but silent. I don't know but I have experienced God when I feel I cannot go on or through some random act that flies into my situation from literally nowhere.  (From left field as Beth Moore says)

Yes that seems to be when God reveals Himself to me in a gentle touch.  This week I helped a neighbor give away her piano.  I wasn't thinking of someone specific.  With technology, I heard a response in about 10 seconds.  "Yes."  the voice said via email.   Again not really realizing the significance, just accepted the yes and moved on with my day.  The day arrived to greet the mover-guys, no big deal, but what I found out was a blessing.

Moving a piano?  Really?  Someone who didn't want this older instrument with strings and keys but didn't want to throw it out...seeking it a new home.  I chatted a moment with the new owner, my friend, and discovered she was excited as a child on Christmas.  A used piano, with scratches and wear/tear, bringing joy as Christmas?  I told her I was so happy that she could receive this blessing.   In a few minutes, I found out that her "heart was singing" (a description from my Katie) because her dream was to play the piano.

Oh my heart sang as well...I aided in fulfilling someone's dream.  Assisting in moving just a piece of furniture to another, a blessing.  In fact making both our heart's sing.  It became clear that it's not the gift at all; it's the pleasure of following or taking time to hear a short story or visiting at the mailbox or looking up from my hand-held technology and meeting the eyes of another.  Jesus clearly wanted us to see each other eye to eye.  The body is the lamp to the soul ~  we miss that often because we say while typing or reading or looking, "I can hear you.  I am listening."  It's like we need to reassure ourselves and the receiver that I can, in fact, multi-task.

In this moving, fast-paced world, multi-tasking is a valued trait.  We celebrate the more stuff we can accomplish all at the same time. Just look at our televisions, mobile phones etc. I wonder if Jesus was here in human form today, would He hold a phone, have laptop in tow, ear-buds in place ~  and respond I can listen to you while doing all this.  Go ahead what do you need?

I sometimes find as distracted as this life forms me, I say the same thing as my children approach or as students visit my office or drop by?  It's good to accomplish tasks and get through projects but not more valuable than seeing, really seeing the eyes of another.  I pray that we aren't compromising the mystery of God because we have instant images and faster search engines.  That we aren't overlooking some of the mysteries of the heart because we are too busy and don't have time.

In fact, we have time.  We make choices daily.  We make choices instantly about what's important.  Let us draw near to Jesus so we have clearer reflection of who He really is through the eyes of each other.

Walking with dusty feet ~

Listening

As I hear the political voices this season, (none really impressing me b/c I find it difficult to be in politics at higher levels and speak with authenticity and integrity) the voice seems to always focus on satisfying someones agenda or gaining their support etc.  But I do churn over the comments made and the connection they make to social issues, equality, morality, how to begin/end life, who has ownership to my "stuff"...well you know the checklist of items, and how this checklist blends itself into my faith and belief system.


I find the older I get most folks don't like their faith to intersect with their daily lives.  You know living the daily and having control over what is mine...money, time, energy.  It's so difficult to teach our children the value of submission to the Lord for He is the giver of all things and how that lifestyle "rubs" ownership, responsibility and humility.  We all want to grow up and "own" our stuff, make a lot of money and go/do what we want.


I am not opposed to doing your best and caring for what you have been given; I believe that's the Lord's desire.  But the statement above whether it's ingrained in our minds or heard on television among religious voices or from political podiums,  it isn't clothed with humility.  It doesn't reflect the idea I'm continually discovering about this journey of faith.  The notion that we get what we deserve or that my success is all about my perseverance and hard work, one surviving beyond the island.  I think life, especially one trying to follow Jesus, is filled with pain, sacrifice and sometimes staying at the lonely place, bottom rung of the ladder.  It's a life shared with some community of faith.  A faith group that allows for questions, even the unanswered ones.  It's filled with grace and discipline, not a checklist of rules that are quick to outcast you.   I picture it in a refugee camp holding onto the joy of salvation, in a concentration camp praising God for fleas...I also see it in a life lived, giving w/o strings to the body around them.  Not sitting on the "stash" waiting till I am inspired to give a hefty donation. God didn't speak of inspiration to give to the poor, provide and protect the children...He said to DO THIS in His name, do I not love you more than the birds?


It's my personal struggle.  Why can't I own a house, paint my walls, buy new furniture?  I find myself knowing the treasures here in this world, even though it seems forever, are only temporary.  We are in constant state of preserving things...protecting our lives from age, death, sadness...when we take a view that this world is but a moment,  A  blink of an eye well then, my agenda seems less valuable.  Pain is part of growth.  Death is part of life.  Sadness is part of happy.


So how do I live life?  An island?  Nope.  It's not possible, community is essential.  Whether that community is online or distant friends that you see here/there; our success in this world must be built on humility, sacrifice and giving.  None of this world belongs to us, even our children.  We are given them for a moment...so much integrity, character building, God's vision of hope and peace and salvation in a few short years.  That's a job, right? A privilege not an enduring. 


It takes a village to help raise them.  A working it out as we say.  Sometimes we do it right and sometimes we just need a do-over.  They are resilient when we are honest about struggles and through saying sorry and moving on.   It really works.  I see it in the lives of students at school.  
At first, they are on edge, defensive and don't expect grace.  When you offer it, they often get nervous waiting for the "shoe" to drop.  When it doesn't they run to you.  They are deeply drawn to honesty and love.  Kinda sad as I see them graduating preparing for the "next step" and still desiring the simple things in life most of them not familiar with but intimately attracted to because we are created in His image.  An image of love.  


So by the grace of God, I am.  That's the sum, the end.  By His grace I am saved.  By His grace, go I.  Take courage with me this day...walk upright, knowing you are precious to HIM, if no other on this Earth, you are created by God who is light midst darkness.  Peace midst storm. Take those truths and pass them around...


~WendyK

Weak?

A moment today...one of our children said "everyone thinks I am weak.  My friends too."  What a heart-wrenching comment to hear out of one of the most precious souls you could love...it was a moment for me take a deep breath, realizing our children are with us for a short few moments. So I have a choice.   Do I overreact at the dropping of the watermelon b/c of slippery hands...Or do I stop and realize there's more to this little incident.  I would love to share with you that I have it all together and never misappropriate my reactions.  :)  Ha.


But this time, I did it right!  I paused...at least the melon burst into the already dropped trashcan lid  making cleanup so easy.  I saw the pain in the small set of eyes looking back at me; this is not about dropping the melon and disappointing mom.  Next, the comment I previously shared.  Weak.  I wanted to shout, "it doesn't matter what others say!"  But it does matter what your friends say if it is becoming the truth that you believe about yourself.  Then you think people are expecting the least of you.  At a young age, this is a moment to shift that opinion.  Practice self-talk that makes you HEAR a voice inside say "I am special.  I am made by God and my family loves me."   This was more beneficial than any camp they could attend or better than any concert they could perform in or better than any test they could ace.


The moment expanded to f2f, breaching personal space laws, speaking truth "Jesus says NOT by might or power...be of strong heart!  W/O love it's all just noise or empty service."  It was a reminder that in our little family, at our simple supper table...the body of Christ begins.  This is the equipping of the saints to go forth and preach the Gospel.  To spread the news of hope.  To walk humbly, not proud and finish well.


With that strength through God's power, these children of ours will make a difference.  They will plant seeds, water gardens, pull weeds, and harvest.  They will set an example of Jesus, a simple servant filled with compassion...not one with robes of glamour and awards.  It's funny this picture...humility, servant-hood, going last, dusty feet, slow moving, showing up late...the description of weak?  Well it's what "they" say is weak but God says it is having a heart like His.  I am sure the island John lived on was lonely...the end of his life, weary body, low vision...But through his weak end-of-life experience, God was able to give new sight and reveal Himself to John, recording Revelation.


May more moments like these happen so that I may be strengthened!

My First Post

Hi Everyone,


Well, actually it isn't my first post.  It is my husband Scott's first post.  He finally made the blog that Frank believes is what God wants to the world to hear.  The rest of the posts are from me (Wendy) but everything else is somebody else's doing. Scott named the blog and set it up (poorly I am sure).  I just feel called to write, what somebody else does with it, I just hope that God uses in some way. 


Again, this is the only post Scott gets to make on my behalf.  The rest is all me.


Here we go!


Wendy

Swarming Bee's In My Head

As I experienced the Lord this weekend, I began to churn swarming thoughts much like bees on the loose.  At first it felt crowded and quite overwhelming because I had so many and so much churning.  Today my quiet time with Jesus began by praying for those invisible souls we often overlook or just don’t have the eyesight to see.  I began thinking of building plans, ministries of our well-intentioned communities of faith, our well-intentioned meetings and planning processes...if we aren’t cautious, we become those who plan, meet and discuss.  As we read Jesus we see He rarely calls a meeting, he was into the “doing” part of ministry.  Now hear me clearly, you and I can have a nervous breakdown from “doing” the work; so there’s boundaries of when to rest, when to serve, when to say “yes.”  If the yes involves your lack of trust that someone called will rise up; you should still say no.  The work of Jesus isn’t continued on our wornoutness.  Even Jesus himself needed rest after dealing with the enemy; imagine Christ needing care?  

Back to my churning...social justice and basic needs being provided for all humans...that isn’t earned.  It seems to be an inappropriate focus.  Why dwell on this point?  There will always be those who test the system, take advantage of the system and even misuse it.  I hear Christians in opposition to health services because they  themselves want choices and they don’t want to pay for someone else’s care.   I am all for choices and hard work usually pays off so that the worker can see the fruit of his/her labor.  But as I intersect that thought with Jesus’ example, we as a society are missing the mark.  Our learning curve is very linear and predictable.  

The church is in a position to be prophetic...listening to the Samuels of our day.  They often lead us, if we are willing to step in faith.  But our lifestyles and increasing debt to keep the life we want, interferes and provides a dark shadow over this vision.  So what would Jesus do, as so many ask and wear on their sleeves?  He clearly promised we would have the poor and the widows and the orphans...was that just so we could give to them at Christmas?  No the day-day is where faith, life and conviction intersect.

Yes, I think it means adjusting our expectations.  It means doing without; do we really need all we have?  I think it’s a dangerous place because when we are more interested in protecting our “stuff” or “money”, we miss the person.  If this philosophy held true, we wouldn’t have seen Jesus meet the woman at the well and visit with her.  Nor would we find him stopping by the pool of Bethesda and seeing deep within a man’s heart  and being concerned with “Do you want to be made well?”  The man I am sure had excuses of why he couldn’t get to the pool and probably took advantage of the whole system.  What about those who interrupted Jesus and lowered their friend through the roof?  Interrupting Jesus in faith that He could make a difference.  It’s a revolutionary way to think.  It takes courage and clear thinking.  Others may not like you or may “kick you to the curb” ~  I pray we aren’t that simple minded.  But to stand means to face the furnace, even if death follows.

The voices I hear voices among Christians making sure no one gets more than they deserve.  We make sure they know to go through the process before we can help; we can’t help everyone don’t you know.  And then we throw a Bible verse in for support “those who don’t work, don’t eat.”  I know the Bible says this but it’s not ammunition to throw around as our litmus test to serving those near/far.  God is the final judge.  Don’t we believe that vengeance is HIS, not ours.  Don’t we trust that the one who wrote in the sand as freedom for the woman, can see the hearts of people?  I pray as He sees my heart, he sees one that is willing to give beyond.  Don’t I trust God to provide for me?  So therefore I cannot stop giving.  I think the answer always ends in more questions.  It’s never going to be easy but I fear we empower our own strength and reasoning, we miss the blessings of giving.  And by the way, giving means freely.  Once we give, we let it go.  If we have strings, we simply want control.


Pray this summer season that God will let your eyesight change.  Maybe you need glasses; maybe you need to take your glasses off...let us not be like the world.  “Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointed fingers; not judging the wounded but allowing our hearts be led by mercy.”    We say we love the sinner and hate sin; that’s ultimately God’s job.  I think we would see transformation if we focused on the loving part; God is big enough, smart enough to handle the rest.

Wendy