Last week, thorns jabbed through my work gloves as we pruned the roses. It seemed as if the plants were fighting back. With each scatch I received, I heard the roses cry, “This may be good for me, but it hurts. I know I’ll be healthier, stronger, more beautiful but the pain is unbearable. Leave me alone.”
We human beings also require pruning. In order to keep us strong and healthy, God sometimes uses the shears of logical consequences, the knives of reality to clear away our dead wood ideas based on false beliefs, old hurts, failures, anger. Like the roses, we reach out with our thorns and yell at God, “Leave us alone. This isn’t fair.” It’s only later, when the deadwood is gone that we realize the good God has brought forth in us. With room to breathe and to lift our branches to the “son”, we have new life.
Not every hurt we endure begins as part of God’s pruning, but out of every hurt God can bring us new life. That’s a difficult concept to understand. In our pain, it makes no sense. Yet, our faith asks us to trust God, to believe that God the master gardener will work to bring beauty even out of the darkness.
St. Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus... For I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4: 6-7, 12-13)
My friend Ellen, age one hundred, lives this trust. She says, “This is where I am in life. I will accept it and live the best I can.” Like St. Paul, in this trust, she finds God’s peace and strength for learning and living well.
"I Can Do Anything. I'm wonderful."
The best thing about retirement is waking up in the morning without an alarm. Oh yes, I still wake up at 6:30 but now, I don’t have to get out of bed till I’m ready. I can lie there and luxuriate in that time between waking and sleeping. For me it feels like a moment of paradise with God. It’s a creative time.
One morning last week, as I awoke, I heard myself declare out loud, “I can do anything. I’m wonderful.” My husband stirred in his sleep, flopped his arm over me and whispered, “I love you.” Those words stayed with me all day. I believe that God was giving me a message.
The night before, I had been feeling overwhelmed. Life was too busy. The challenges had grown beyond my ability to cope. I wanted to give up. My night time prayer had been filled with moans. “I’m exhausted, God. I can’t do it. I’m just one person.”
When I had my personal counseling business, I told clients who were feeling inadequate, overwhelmed, beaten by life, to practice the following exercise. “At least five times a day, look in the mirror and say, “God loves me. I am wonderful. I can do anything.” The exercise had amazing results. Depressed, defeated people who followed my instructions found new life.
Last week, God reminded me to follow my own instructions. And so, I offer them to you. If you’ve been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, a failure, change the message you’ve been giving yourself. God does love you. You are wonderful. With God, you can do anything. Add God’s power to your life.
“So God created humankind in God’s own image, in the image of God, they were created; male and female he created them…God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1: 27, 31)
One morning last week, as I awoke, I heard myself declare out loud, “I can do anything. I’m wonderful.” My husband stirred in his sleep, flopped his arm over me and whispered, “I love you.” Those words stayed with me all day. I believe that God was giving me a message.
The night before, I had been feeling overwhelmed. Life was too busy. The challenges had grown beyond my ability to cope. I wanted to give up. My night time prayer had been filled with moans. “I’m exhausted, God. I can’t do it. I’m just one person.”
When I had my personal counseling business, I told clients who were feeling inadequate, overwhelmed, beaten by life, to practice the following exercise. “At least five times a day, look in the mirror and say, “God loves me. I am wonderful. I can do anything.” The exercise had amazing results. Depressed, defeated people who followed my instructions found new life.
Last week, God reminded me to follow my own instructions. And so, I offer them to you. If you’ve been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, a failure, change the message you’ve been giving yourself. God does love you. You are wonderful. With God, you can do anything. Add God’s power to your life.
“So God created humankind in God’s own image, in the image of God, they were created; male and female he created them…God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. (Genesis 1: 27, 31)
Night Driving
At my age, driving at night is not as easy as it used to be. The car lights coming at me are almost blinding. My car’s lights seem dimmer, the outside darker. My driving experience helps, but the bottom line is that I work harder to see in the dark today than I did twenty years ago.
Night driving reminds me of the journey of faith. Young eyes seem to see God clearly. A young child, busy with her crayons was asked, “What are you drawing.”
He answered, “God”.
“I’m not sure I know what God looks like,” the adult responded.
The child looked up and smiled. “Don’t worry,” he said, “you will as soon as I finish this picture.”
Children don’t have to turn on their bright lights and peer into the darkness. They know that God is there with them. They know God can be trusted. Adulthood brings a consciousness of the darkness around us. We see the problems in the world. We question God’s love. We tend to focus on the darkness, so we keep turning up our headlights hoping that we’ll be able to see God. We forget that God is there with us, supporting us, guaranteed. Even though we cannot understand everything that happens, we are not alone. God is with us. Thanks be to God.
“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15”
Night driving reminds me of the journey of faith. Young eyes seem to see God clearly. A young child, busy with her crayons was asked, “What are you drawing.”
He answered, “God”.
“I’m not sure I know what God looks like,” the adult responded.
The child looked up and smiled. “Don’t worry,” he said, “you will as soon as I finish this picture.”
Children don’t have to turn on their bright lights and peer into the darkness. They know that God is there with them. They know God can be trusted. Adulthood brings a consciousness of the darkness around us. We see the problems in the world. We question God’s love. We tend to focus on the darkness, so we keep turning up our headlights hoping that we’ll be able to see God. We forget that God is there with us, supporting us, guaranteed. Even though we cannot understand everything that happens, we are not alone. God is with us. Thanks be to God.
“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15”
Do What Is Possible.
We worry about the people we love. We share our wisdom, sometimes even in lecture form. If that fails, we make rules. We do everything we can to help our child, our brother, our spouse, our friend. In the end our loved ones make their own decisions. We cannot make another person choose wisely. Even though we see the pit yawning ahead, we cannot force another person to turn aside. That’s tough, because we’re left to watch the disaster happen.
What does our faith have to say to us when we feel powerless to save or rescue our loved ones? In her book of daily reflections, Glimpses of Grace, Madeline L’Engle offers this advice: “Our job is to take care of the possible and trust God with the impossible.”
I applied this principle to a concern I have with a friend. During my prayer time, I said to God, “Okay, I’m to take care of the possible. What is possible for me in this situation? What can I do for this person?
The answer came immediately. “Love him. You can love him.”
“Of course I can love him,” I responded. “I have loved him since the day he was born. Even today when he is making choices that will bring him pain, I love him. That’s easy, but, my love won’t force him to make good choices.”
Therefore, I applied the second part of Madeline L’Engle’s advice. “Trust God with the impossible.” Of course, I thought. I’ll give him to God. Jesus said, “I will be with you always, even unto the end of time.” (Matthew 28: 20) When I trust God with the impossible, I must let go of my need to bring about my friend’s transformation. God and he will figure it out. And whatever happens I can trust that he is God’s precious child, and God will never abandon him.
Following this principle is a struggle, but when I do, I find peace for my soul.
What does our faith have to say to us when we feel powerless to save or rescue our loved ones? In her book of daily reflections, Glimpses of Grace, Madeline L’Engle offers this advice: “Our job is to take care of the possible and trust God with the impossible.”
I applied this principle to a concern I have with a friend. During my prayer time, I said to God, “Okay, I’m to take care of the possible. What is possible for me in this situation? What can I do for this person?
The answer came immediately. “Love him. You can love him.”
“Of course I can love him,” I responded. “I have loved him since the day he was born. Even today when he is making choices that will bring him pain, I love him. That’s easy, but, my love won’t force him to make good choices.”
Therefore, I applied the second part of Madeline L’Engle’s advice. “Trust God with the impossible.” Of course, I thought. I’ll give him to God. Jesus said, “I will be with you always, even unto the end of time.” (Matthew 28: 20) When I trust God with the impossible, I must let go of my need to bring about my friend’s transformation. God and he will figure it out. And whatever happens I can trust that he is God’s precious child, and God will never abandon him.
Following this principle is a struggle, but when I do, I find peace for my soul.
Power and Water
Power outages are becoming more and more common and lasting longer and longer. For country dwellers, lack of electric power to run our well pump means no water. Yes, we have bottled water available for purchase so our drinking supply is limited only by our dollars, but daily showers don’t happen. Healthy hand washing becomes burdensome at best. Worst of all, toilets don’t flush without water, so we walk or drive to get water and bring it home. After four days, I’m ready to move to a hotel where the electricity works and water is plentiful.
Four days without water, and the plight of those around the world who walk several kilometers to the nearest well for a bucket of water, begins to take on some reality for me. Not just for a few days till the power is restored, but every day of their lives, they are limited to the water in that bucket. The blessing of water, to drink, to wash, to clear away our human waste is beyond measure. Regardless of the trouble and pain that invade our lives, we can be grateful that we have easy access to clean healthy water.
We can derive two “learnings” from that gratitude. First, we need to care for our precious water. At times it feels as if environmentalists are brow beating us with the message – conserve water – care for it – don’t waste it. These last two power outages have jerked me out of my apathy. I need to listen to their wisdom.
Second, God calls us to share our blessings with those who have none. We can and must support nongovernmental organizations that dig wells in far off countries.
Yes, this spring we’ve learned it’s inconvenient to live without electricity, but access to electricity is not essential to human life. Access to water is.
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38 NIV)
Four days without water, and the plight of those around the world who walk several kilometers to the nearest well for a bucket of water, begins to take on some reality for me. Not just for a few days till the power is restored, but every day of their lives, they are limited to the water in that bucket. The blessing of water, to drink, to wash, to clear away our human waste is beyond measure. Regardless of the trouble and pain that invade our lives, we can be grateful that we have easy access to clean healthy water.
We can derive two “learnings” from that gratitude. First, we need to care for our precious water. At times it feels as if environmentalists are brow beating us with the message – conserve water – care for it – don’t waste it. These last two power outages have jerked me out of my apathy. I need to listen to their wisdom.
Second, God calls us to share our blessings with those who have none. We can and must support nongovernmental organizations that dig wells in far off countries.
Yes, this spring we’ve learned it’s inconvenient to live without electricity, but access to electricity is not essential to human life. Access to water is.
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38 NIV)
Hope
During the month of June, high school students say “I hope I pass my exams” or “I hope I get that eighty average I need.” Worried parents hope their child will make the right choices in life. The unemployed hope this next interview will result in a job offer.
Psychologists tells us, Hope is essential for the human Spirit. When we lose all hope, suicide becomes a welcome escape. As a Christian, I place my hope in God. Over the years, I have developed a four step process that carries me through difficult situations.
1. Prepare – Research, study, get ready for life’s tasks
2. Pray – Thank God for this opportunity, no matter how difficult. Ask
God for help.
3. Proceed trusting in God and giving my absolute best.
4. Pray – The job done, the experience over, give responsibility for
results to God.
These “Four P’s” give me hope. I’ll never forget my despair, when driving to the home of a couple whose eight year old girl had been killed in an unusual accident. I was overwhelmed. What did I have to offer in the midst of this tragedy? I wanted to run like Jonah in the opposite direction. How could I hope to help these grieving parents. I stopped the car along the road to pray.
“God, my only hope lies in you. You got me into this. You called me to ministry. I’ve had years of training and experience, yet I’m not prepared. Show me what to do and say because I’m lost. I’ll give my best, and my hope is in you. Use my efforts Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen”
Theologian Henri Nouwen wrote, “Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions unanswered and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointment and darkness.” (p.60)
In God, there is hope even on the worst or the best of days. For that I am truly grateful.
"Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on God’s Grace to be given you … (I Peter 1:13)"
Psychologists tells us, Hope is essential for the human Spirit. When we lose all hope, suicide becomes a welcome escape. As a Christian, I place my hope in God. Over the years, I have developed a four step process that carries me through difficult situations.
1. Prepare – Research, study, get ready for life’s tasks
2. Pray – Thank God for this opportunity, no matter how difficult. Ask
God for help.
3. Proceed trusting in God and giving my absolute best.
4. Pray – The job done, the experience over, give responsibility for
results to God.
These “Four P’s” give me hope. I’ll never forget my despair, when driving to the home of a couple whose eight year old girl had been killed in an unusual accident. I was overwhelmed. What did I have to offer in the midst of this tragedy? I wanted to run like Jonah in the opposite direction. How could I hope to help these grieving parents. I stopped the car along the road to pray.
“God, my only hope lies in you. You got me into this. You called me to ministry. I’ve had years of training and experience, yet I’m not prepared. Show me what to do and say because I’m lost. I’ll give my best, and my hope is in you. Use my efforts Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen”
Theologian Henri Nouwen wrote, “Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions unanswered and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointment and darkness.” (p.60)
In God, there is hope even on the worst or the best of days. For that I am truly grateful.
"Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on God’s Grace to be given you … (I Peter 1:13)"
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