Life Is Precious

There is a simple but beautiful truth we too often let slip from our minds as our world seems to overwhelm us. The great African-American poet, Nikki Giovanni, puts it so perfectly, "Life is precious."

Think of it. Each one of us, man and woman, have been created in the image of God. He has breathed into us the breath of life--His breath. And every breath we take all day long is a precious gift from Him to us. "In Him we live and move and have our being."

And the preciousness of life is all around us. Why are we always looking for something more, something better--and thus missing some of the most precious moments of life. Mom after a day of taking care of the kids or a day of work away from home, comes home and lovingly prepares a meal for everyone. Dad works all day to bring home the money needed to feed, clothe, and care for his family--and then is so reluctant to spend any of it on himself. Grandma takes the grandchild into her kitchen and teaches him or her to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever. And when they become Grandma--guess what? Children find their clothes laid out for them in the morning. The morning chorus of birds makes every symphony second rate. Weeds bloom that are more beautiful than the flowers. Rain enriches the waiting earth. A little child greets Mommy and Daddy each morning with a smile and an "I love you"--punctuated with a hug and a kiss. Those we work for make the difficult decisions without complaint--and encourage us day by day in our calling. Unexpected phone calls, unexpected acts of kindness, words of kindness and encouragement, unexpected smiles. Each day we are surrounded by "Life is precious." Do we embrace that preciousness or murmur and complain oblivious to the glories He has placed into our lives through our friends and families--and yes, even strangers? "Life is precious." Believe it? Then live each day with a dance of joy, a heart of spontaneous thankfulness to all those around you for the littlest things they do for you. Surprise them. Shock them with a "thank you" and a smile of gratitude.

Remember: each breath--yes, each one--is a gift of life from Him. May your every breath be a "thank You, Lord" for this moment surrounded by such precious gifts. More and better I do not need because they do not exist.

My Dwelling Place

The psalmist tells us that the Most High God--the Almighty--longs to cover His children under His wings. As the mother bird gathers her children under her wings for protection, so he views God's child as living under God's wings and thus, in His shadow. As we abide there, God acts as our Shelter, our Shield, our Fortress, our Security, our Bulwark, our Deliverer. God becomes our Dwelling Place. His angels guard our every step. He enables us to "feast our eyes" on His salvation, to rest securely in the truth that He will answer us when we call on Him. We need not fear the terrors of the night or the destruction that lays waste at noon.

When He becomes my Dwelling Place, the God I trust, like Joseph and Daniel I will always live with a sense of His presence. Whether I am walking the halls at WC or walking The Acres or walking the aisles of a grocery store, I am at home with Him, my Dwelling Place. I am under His wings and walking in His shadow step by step. I can begin right this moment--sure of His goodness and mercy active in my life--to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. "Under His wings I am safely abiding; though the night deepens and tempests are wild, still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me; He has redeemed me, and I am His child. Under His wings, under His wings, who from His love can sever? Under His wings my soul shall abide, safely abide forever." Today, rest in the shadow and under the wings of the Almighty God, the Most High God, your eternal Protector and Deliverer.

Like Him

I would be like Jesus:

A man of sorrows

A sower of the Word

Full of grace and truth

The light of the world

The patient, expectant father

The greatest servant

The obedient son

A heart of forgiveness

A patient teacher

A friend

A comforter

A seeker

A faithful shepherd

The prayer at the heart of each decision He made was: "Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine."

I would be like Jesus

Weary?

Our loving, patient God with His servant's heart never tires of doing good for others. He tells us as His children--the glory of His presence--to not become weary in well-doing for we will reap if we faint not. I wonder in this time of continued need if we have begun to weary. The cause is always the same; we begin to focus only on ourselves and our own wants and needs. Are we still reaching out to our neighbors--especially the elderly ones--to make sure they are doing well? Do we still give unexpected gifts, cards, of encouragement to those who continue to serve us in these times? Do we say a simple "thank you"? When is the last time you checked on your friends and loved ones who are not in town? Are they still doing well? Or do you think they no longer need to know that you continue to pray for them? Do you? When is the last time you simply encouraged--or at least tried to encourage--someone you love and care for instead of just assuming that all is well with him or her? Still being critical of others because they disagree with you? Still acting as if you don't actually believe that God is in control? When others think of you or of me, do the words "encourager" or "edifier" come to their mind? Have we drifted away from God's calling to be His hands of love in this world? His feet that seek opportunities to search out those in need of His love? Have we drifted back to a life of self-centeredness? The love of Christ is focused on others, energized by the needs and wants of others, empowered by the simplest act that says not, "I'm still here," but "He's still here, and oh, how He loves and cares for you." Has there ever been a time when we need to demonstrate the beauty of Jesus more than these times? May we be Christ-in-the-room wherever He needs us this day. And tomorrow, too.

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A Deeper Love

The religious leaders of His day slandered Him, mocked Him, beat Him, blasphemed Him, turned Him over to be tortured and killed. "Turned Him over" because the law wouldn't allow them to kill Him. You know they would have loved to have been the ones driving in the nails.

The Romans sentenced Him to death knowing He was innocent--"I find no fault in this man. Tortured Him, mocked Him, crucified Him, and casually gambled for His clothes.

The two thieves mocked Him, belittled Him, cursed Him--the guilty shaming the guiltless.

The multitude went from praising Him--"Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord" to--within a week--shouting "Crucify Him! Crucify Him! We have no king but Caesar." Caesar whom they all despised and hated. They would have danced for joy if they could escape the rule of Rome and Caesar. Yet, they denied Him, shamed Him, mocked Him, ridiculed Him, shouted for His execution.

His response--to love more deeply: "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing."

The result: Two of the religious hierarchy with nothing to gain and everything to lose took down His body, prepared Him for burial, placed His body in one of their own tombs. Went from fearful followers to open lovers. And after the Resurrection, many of the priests believed in Him.

One of the two thieves: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom." His answer: "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." And he was.

A callused Roman soldier at the foot of the cross: "Surely, this man was the son of God."

The multitude: On Pentecost as Peter preached and told them what they had actually done, and they understood their actions for what they were, they cried out for forgiveness. And--3000 in one day received it. 3000. And then--the church spread through Jerusalem. And the world. And it hasn't stopped spreading yet.

Hurt, despised, slandered, mocked by others--respond by loving them more deeply; by pleading with God for them--that they will find the forgiveness He died to provide for them. And some of them will--if we will just fall on our knees, cast off our self-pity, and cry out to the God of a deeper love to seek them out and bring them to Him.

Love more deeply. Always love more deeply.

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Patient Encouragement

The patient and encouraging heart of our Savior always amazes and humbles me. I love His patient love for Mary. At the wedding she confronted Him--"they've run out of wine; do something about it." Now why she would ask Him that puzzles me unless she knew something we don't--that He had already proven to her that He could do something about it--but that's heresy. Shh. Don't tell anyone. But when Mom asked. Son did. And at the cross in terrible agony, who was He deeply concerned about? Mary. "John, take care of My mother." And why did He call her, "Woman"? I think to constantly remind her of something as she treasured up the moments of His life, struggled with doubt and confusion, stood at the foot of the cross and watched His suffering. Remind her of what? Where it all began: the angel Gabriel stood in front of this terrified young women who was definitely committed to God, and said, "Mary, blessed art Thou among women." "Always remember, Mother, who you are, and the Father's opinion of you and His confidence in you."

And the disciples! Over and over He tried to teach them. Over and over they missed it. When He spoke literally, they thought spiritually. When He spoke spiritually, they though literally. But He never stopped teaching. After the Resurrection, He sought them out, encouraged them, taught them more, and confidently sent them out to save the world. And they didn't learn the lessons until long after graduation day--when He sent them the Spirit to make the lessons plain and to empower them to live them out.

Now, of course, I have never done any of that stuff: demand that He do something for me--now, struggle with what He was up to, wept over a loss I didn't understand, forgotten who I am in Christ no matter the circumstances, missed the truth He was trying to teach me--for years, betrayed Him in fear of what might happen to me if I stood up for Him--nope, not me. Right. And how has He responded to this old man's ups and downs for seventy plus years. Did wonderful things for me and those I love when the only possible reason for doing them was to reassure me of His love. Reminded me over and over again of whose I am--of the fact that who I am in Him is all that matters. I cannot escape His eternal love--doubts and struggles and failures notwithstanding. Kept on teaching me time and time again what I needed to know about Him, the service He needed me to do for Him (not men), and that by relying on the indwelling Spirit in me (talk about an undeserved miracle!!!), I could do all the things He called me to do because He would be my joyous strength.

Oh, the patient encouraging heart of our Savior. And, oh!, that I might develop the same heart for everyone He brings into my life. What a difference it would make! And only pride and the selfish fear of men keeps if from being so. "God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble."

His Quietness

There is an attribute of God that I have been slowly learning as I grow older and older. I still need to pray for it to be evident in my life day-by-day. God's quietness. It is an attribute that is more powerful the more turbulent my life and the days I live in appear to be. I am not speaking of the stillness that God demands from me if I am going to hear His voice and know Him more deeply. (Yes, demands.) No, I am talking about the quietness that emanates from His being when the world and all that is happening in it seem chaotic and out of control. God never frets or worries about what the world is up to. He never fears the outcome. The intelligence and schemes of men to set up a world to their liking--minus Him and the influence of His people--never impresses or alarms Him. The troubles, ills, and struggles that fill my life and expose my weaknesses never thwart His goodness toward me and those I love. He leaves men to reap what they sow--and they always have. And He works in my life to transform me more and more into His likeness. He restores my soul. He shows me the path of righteousness. Nothing is ever out of His control. No plans or thoughts or troubles ever escape His notice or undermine His will, or the certainty of His power to accomplish His purpose in the events of the world or in my life. As He builds into my thinking that truth--His unshakable quietness in the midst of all circumstances--then I, too, can develop an earthquake proof confidence in His omnipotent goodness and be unafraid and unshakable no matter what I see going on around me in the world or in my own life's challenges. I can set aside all fear and simply trust and obey. May my heart be as quiet as His great heart in the face of adversity because I know, I know, I know--that He is in total control of all things all day long. "The Lord's our Rock, in Him we hide, a shelter in the time of storm."