The Most Important Connection
I love games, especially word games.
Wordle, the Mini Crossword and Connections are part of my nightly routine.
If you have never played Wordle, players are given 6 chances to guess a 5 letter word.
Not many chances when you have 26 letters.
You have the choice of which ones you will add to the blank page.
The Mini Crossword at least gives you clues for words to enter.
It even gives you the option of using Autocheck.
This lets you know if one of the letters you have chosen is wrong.
Not to boast, but I feel like I have Wordle and the Mini Crossword down.
It is Connections that I struggle with the most.
The challenge of this game is to take 16 words and figure out what 4 categories they might fall under.
To find the connection between the words.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Not always.
For example, bed, bowl, crate and collar might fall into the “Puppy Purchases” category.
It was easy for me to find the common thread between these words.
Other times, I stare at the words and see no connection at all.
Even through playing games, God has a lesson to share if we are paying attention.
Each day we have free will to choose to follow God or not.
Like Wordle, we have choices of how we will fill the blank page.
In His Word, our choices and their consequences are made clear.
“Look at what I’ve done for you today: I’ve placed in front of you
Life and Good
Death and Evil.
And I command you today: Love God, your God. Walk in His ways. Keep His commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess.
But I warn you: If you have a change of heart, refuse to listen obediently, and willfully go off to serve and worship other gods, you will most certainly die. You won’t last long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. “ Deuteronomy 30: 15-18 MSG
Like in the Mini Crossword, the Bible serves as an Autocheck, letting us know when something is wrong or out of line with the puzzle of our lives.
His Word gives us clues for what we should add to our days.
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into His most excellent harmonies.” Philippians 4:8-9 MSG
Like Connections, we attempt to place people into categories.
We look for the common threads.
Cheering for the same team, having children or belonging to the same political party.
Or maybe the categories have a more negative connotation.
We group others by those who have hurt or offended us, or we see as “less than.”
This is nothing new.
The Bible shows many who were placed into categories.
That was seen as “less than.”
The woman at the well.
The tax collector.
The leper.
This is the enemy’s favorite game.
Having us focus on what separates us instead of what connects us.
All you need to do is look at the media to see division is still alive and well.
We get focused on putting people in categories.
And we miss the most important connection of all.
We are all in one category.
The category of the ones that Christ went to the cross for and shed His blood.
All of us.
Not the ones that think like us, vote like us, or sound like us.
Each and every one of us.
Our connection is that we are all HIS.
And as HIS, we are called to love the way that He loves us.
With unlimited love.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12 NIV
God makes it clear that His children are called to see each other as brothers and sisters and to serve one another.
“Show respect for all people. Love the brothers and sisters of God’s family. Respect God. Honor the King.” 1 Peter 2:7 ICB
“Most importantly, love each other deeply. Love has a way of not looking at others’ sins. Open your homes to each other, without complaining. Each of you received a spiritual gift. God has shown you His grace in giving you different gifts. And you are like servants who are responsible for using God’s gifts. So be good servants and use your gifts to serve each other. Anyone who speaks should speak words from God. The person who serves should serve with the strength that God gives. You should do these things so that in everything God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Power and glory belong to him forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4: 8-11 ICB
Friends, it is easy to stare at a broken world and lose sight of the most important connection we all have.
But we can find reminders in His Word.
Given the choice, will we choose Him?
Given the clues, will we fill our lives with what honors HIm?
Given the category, will we choose to love all of our brothers and sisters?
How we fill our lives matters.
My prayer is that we fill it with love.
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Unseen
My mind was still that morning.
A heaviness had swept over me.
For as long as I can remember, the day before my birthday I have always spent time reflecting.
Snapshots of the year’s events, places and people playing like a movie in my mind as my heart expresses some form of gratitude for these gifts.
But the older I get, there is a noticeable difference in the snapshots.
There are people missing,
Maybe that is why yesterday I struggled to quiet my thoughts.
As thankful as I am for all of the wonderful people God has placed in my life, there is still a void from the ones who are no longer here.
I long for those conversations around the table with my parents.
Talking about the day’s events, or reminiscing about past ones.
My emotions dance beneath the surface of a smile.
Knowing that they could erupt at any moment, I say nothing and look out the window.
If my husband noticed that I was unusually quiet on the way to church, he did not question it.
He filled the silence with small talk until we pulled into the parking lot.
These days, when my heart is heavy, I prefer to fly under the radar unseen.
But I am never not seen.
As the service ended, a couple asked us to join them for breakfast.
Full of love and life, they are the parents of another friend of ours who happened to be away.
It was not until we were at the table having conversations about family and the day’s events that I truly saw the provision.
Conversations around the table with parents.
“I see you,” He whispers.
He provided exactly what my heavy heart needed at that moment.
And to the couple who answered the nudge to extend the invitation for breakfast, you were a part of answered prayer that morning.
Thank you.
God shows us in His Word that He is a God who sees us.
Hagar had a heavy heart.
She felt alone after she conceived a child with Abram, at the direction of Saria, his wife.
Mistreated, this Egyptian slave decided to flee from her mistress.
But God saw her in her distress.
He sent an angel to her.
Provision.
“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.
And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”
“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.
Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”
The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” Genesis 16: 7-10 NIV
Hagar recognized the provision. She knew that she had been seen by God, and gave a new name to Him: El Roi.
“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16: 13 NIV
He provided exactly what her heavy heart needed at that moment.
Do you ever feel unseen?
That no one notices the feelings that dance beneath the surface of your smile?
Friends, there is One who always sees you.
Can you see the provision He has placed in your life?
My prayer is that you see it today.
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Lifting Yourself Up When You are Weighted Down
For those few days, all I could feel was the weight on my chest.
Though not visible, its presence was undeniable.
I felt like I could not lift myself up.
Curled up on the couch, my mind spun in different directions.
There was only one place I knew I could process the hurt and sort through the questions.
One place where I could sit with the uncomfortable feelings for a while.
In His Presence.
There was only one place where I could look for a model of what to do next.
One place where I could be reminded that I needed to forgive, because forgiveness has been given to me so many times.
In His Word.
And after a few days, when the chaos in my mind had begun to settle, an image was placed in front of me once again reminding me that God sees me.
He also knows that I tend to be a visual learner.
I forced myself to go to the gym, put on my praise music and hopped on my favorite elliptical.
As I found a rhythm with my steps, my gaze and thoughts shifted to my right to see a man pulling himself up on a bar.
You will never be able to do that.
You do not have enough strength.
Then my eyes moved to the belt around his waist.
Attached to the belt were chains on either side, with a weight secured in the center.
The weight looked heavy.
Yet he kept lifting himself up.
Over and over again.
This was the question that played over in my mind:
How can you lift yourself up when you are weighted down?
- Prepare to bear to weight.
It is hard to imagine that this man could have lifted himself up at all, let alone with a weight attached to him, had he not trained to do so.
He prepared to pull himself up.
The path we walk will not always be a smooth one.
Some of the weights we bear will be visible, others will not.
But in His Word, God tells us we will all have difficulties.
And He gives us the hope that we can overcome them.
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV
Knowing that at some point we will have troubles shouldn’t we prepare ahead?
We do that by the daily practice of being in His Presence and in His Word.
- Sit with it- but don’t stay with it.
I did not know the when or the why of the troubles that would come.
But I did know this:
There was only one place I knew I could process the hurt and sort through the questions.
One place where I could sit with the uncomfortable feelings for a while.
In His Presence.
God stayed with me as I sorted through the “yuck.”
When it was time to lift myself up, I still felt unsteady.
The enemy loves to take the opportunity to get in our ear at our low points.
You will never be able to do that.
You do not have enough strength.
But God reminds us that it is not our strength that He uses to move us forward.
“ I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 NIV
- Forgive
Whether hurts are intentional or not, forgiveness is not always something that comes easily.
We may need to forgive others or ourselves.
But God tells us forgiveness is necessary.
He cannot do His part if we do not do ours.
“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.” Matthew 6:15 MSG
- Have a grateful heart
Those days of sitting with my circumstances were not easy.
But God wants us to give thanks in all circumstances.
I was never alone.
Even in my raw emotions, I was loved and seen by the Creator of the Universe.
For that, I am incredibly grateful.
“ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Friends, I do not know what is weighing you down today.
Maybe it is visible to others, maybe it is only visible to God.
But there is One who will sit with you in your despair, give you strength to pull yourself up, and show you the way to move forward.
And He will love you through it all.
That is something to be grateful for always.
We are never alone, never unloved.
Praise be!
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The Final Address
Gypsy Jo.
That’s what we used to call my mother in law, Josie.
She liked to move around.
A LOT.
I used to joke with her, saying I needed an address book just for her.
So as we made the drive to Delaware to bury her ashes this past March, I thought about all of the many places she lived over the years.
Now she was going to the place she wanted to be most – beside her husband.
As we stood at the cemetery, I remember saying:
“This is her final address.”
But even as I uttered the words, I knew that wasn’t really a true statement.
Josie knew where her final address would be: in heaven with her Father and those who had gone before her.
My mother in law was a woman of faith, who started her morning with devotions and writing down her prayers.
Some of her journal entries began with this:
Good morning, God. Thru rain or shine you’ve given me a day all mine.
As loved ones gathered around the graveside, I read an entry she made expressing her desire for her family to know her heavenly Father.
I pray that one day – my family will have the opportunity to experience the quiet beauty, peace and solitude of finding, feeling and knowing God’s love.
Her words.
Seeing it in her writing seemed to carry a different weight.
Friends, that is the desire of His heart – that we find, feel and know His love.
We can see His desire for us in His word.
Like Josie had many addresses here on earth, our Father has many rooms prepared for His children in heaven.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. “
John 14: 1-6 ESV
He is preparing for us all to come home.
Our final address.
The directions to get there are clear.
The way home is through Jesus.
Until then, my mother in law’s prayer is mine for you.
May you have the opportunity to experience the quiet beauty, peace and solitude of finding, feeling and knowing God’s love.
Amen.
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Just Around the Corner
Heading out for church, our car started around a blind corner not far from home when my husband started to drift into the opposite lane.
We had traveled this road many times.
It felt familiar.
Still, I was startled and gasped.
“Be careful! You don’t know what’s around the corner!”
As we came up on the straightaway, we could see another car coming towards us in the distance.
I love how God meets us in our everyday routines and speaks.
Sometimes, we start down the road believing we know what’s around the corner.
Our day is planned out, scheduled with routines that feel familiar and comfortable.
We may even drift out of our lane a little, feeling safe because we believe we know what’s coming next.
In truth, we don’t always know what’s around the corner.
A weather delay that sets us back a few days.
The loss of a job that puts our finances in disarray.
The unexpected death of a loved one that turns our world upside down.
Life is unpredictable.
Look at the disciples.
One day Peter and Andrew were casting their nets.
James and John were in the boat with their father.
Matthew was sitting at his tax collector’s booth.
And Jesus finds them there.
In the familiar routines of the day.
Let’s look at what scriptures say about these encounters.
“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed Him.
Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.” Matthew 4:18-22 NIV
“As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.” Matthew 9: 9 NIV
Not knowing what is around the corner or seeing what was ahead of them, these men said yes.
At once.
Immediately.
They leave the comfort and familiarity of their routines and turn the corner.
Because even if they did not know what lied ahead, they trusted the One who was leading them.
What a model of surrender and trust.
Friends, I do not know what you have encountered this year.
But God sees every twist and turn in our lives.
“O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.” Psalms 139:1-3 ESV
There is comfort in that.
And when life takes an unexpected turn, it is the hope that we have in Christ that helps us to keep moving.
Jesus knew what was around the corner.
Humiliation.
Pain.
Betrayal.
“ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand. Then they knelt in front of Him and mocked Him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.” Matthew 27: 27-31 NIV
And He willingly went to the cross to take our place anyway.
There is no greater love than this.
When we think that no one can understand our pain, Jesus does.
The day is coming when there will be no more pain and no more tears.
In the distance, we can see that our Savior will return.
It is promised in His Word.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake.
For you do not know when the time will come. “
Mark 13:31-33 ESV
May we cling to that hope and promise this Easter and always.
It’s just around the corner.
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Restored
Gazing at the weathered and worn wood, I knew that it was time to let go.
The green picnic table that had been made for us had seen better days.
Letting go of it made sense in my head, but not in my heart.
This table had a special meaning because it had been given to me by my father.
It was given in love and made to be used.
Family and friends had gathered around it for meals and games.
The images of our family seated there after grilling burgers or playing cards are ones I hold dear to my heart.
But then I had a thought.
What if I shifted my thinking?
Could this gift be used in a different way?
A creative friend was able to use the wood from the table to make a rack that could be mounted on the wall.
Restored for something new.
Restoration.
That is my word of 2024.
Reflecting on this past year, I have thought of that table and how it has related to my own life.
This last season has left me feeling a little weathered and worn.
Like that table, there have been days that my gifts have sat idle.
Gifts given to me in love by my heavenly Father that were made to be used.
While images of how those gifts were used in the past are ones that I hold dear, they prevent me from seeing how God wants me to use them in my present.
So God placed a new thought on my heart.
Maybe just like the table, my gifts were meant to be used differently in this season.
Restored for something new.
Our Creator is the One who restores all things.
Friends, are you feeling a little weathered and worn?
Maybe you are holding on to something old that He wants to make new.
He can restore your joy.
You only need to have a willing heart.
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
Psalm 51:12 ESV
Maybe you are feeling empty or unsure that He can use you in this season of your life.
He can restore your soul.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.”
Psalm 23: 1- 3 ESV
Maybe you are feeling like the old ways no longer serve the same purpose.
He can make all things new.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
Friends, our heavenly Father gives each of us gifts to use for His glory.
Gifts given to us in love that are meant to be used.
My prayer for you in this new season is that as you let go of the old, He restores your joy and makes clear how He plans to use your gifts to share His love with those around you.
May 2024 be a year of restoration for us all.
Amen.
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Stories About My Father
I recently traveled back to my hometown to visit a cousin. She was staying with a longtime friend.
When I got to the door, her friend welcomed me with a smile.
But I knew that she didn’t immediately recognize me.
When I was introduced as “Gordie’s daughter,” she made the connection.
She knew my father personally and her regard for him was evident in the way she spoke about him.
She shared stories about my father : times when he came into her restaurant and how he conducted business at the plant.
How lovely it was to sit and share stories about him, especially with someone who had felt his kindness.
It made me feel closer to him.
I love sharing stories about my father.
I remember I was in college, feeling kind of grown up and away from home for the first time.
I became sick and it was determined that at the age of 19, my tonsils needed to come out.
Because of some issues, I needed to stay in the hospital overnight.I assured my father that I would be fine and did not need him to be there.
I am an adult now after all, I thought to myself.
But when I woke up in pain in that hospital bed, I knew that the little girl inside still wanted her father.
And there he was sitting by my side.
He knew what I needed even if I did not.
There was another time where my father took me shopping at a strip mall the next town over.
I think I might have been around 11.
Murphy’s. Fashion Bug, Thom McCann and a pizza place.
Trust me when I tell you this was a big deal back then,
We stopped for some pizza and when he made a trip to the bathroom when we were done,
I made a beeline for the Ms Pac Man machine in the back. Positioned at the machine, I did not
notice him leaving. He must have thought I left to go back to one of the stores. The next 10
minutes were some of the worst moments my father used to say of his life. He searched
frantically for me, up and down the strip mall, fearing that I had gotten lost or worse. It wasn’t
until he saw the orange sleeve of my jacket peeking out from behind the arcade machine that he
realized where I was. He was so relieved to see me, he didn’t get mad that I had wandered off.
I knew he would always find me.
We lived through some wonderful memories and some that were not so wonderful.
I remember my father walking me down the aisle on my wedding day.
I also remember the day we were both having radiation treatments at the cancer center, both
fighting two different types of cancer at the same time.
My father was there in good times and in hard times.
He was always there when I needed him.
That could be in part because my parents lived with me. I got to experience him as a father and
a friend in my adult life. I also witnessed him as a grandfather to my sons, Jon and Dan.
My favorite images are my father with his arms wide open and Dan running into them after he
got off the school bus.He always welcomed us with open arms.
There is another image in my mind of my father that always leaves me filled with a bit of regret.
As I sat on the couch one day doing paperwork, he came in and sat down.
He smiled at me.
I knew that he was just waiting to engage in conversation, but I was too busy trying to get my paperwork done.
He just sat there quietly waiting for me to turn my face to him.
He just wanted to be in my presence.
I wish I would have unbusied myself more.
The older I get, the more I understand the importance of this.
I was blessed to be called his daughter.
While I love sharing stories about my father, I know that none of you reading this here will ever experience his love the same way that I did.
How could you? You didn’t know him.
And I know that there are some reading this who do not have the same relationship with their father that I did.
Maybe sharing stories about your father is hard.
But friends, we can all have a relationship with our heavenly Father.
” What marvelous love the Father has extended to us!
Just look at it—we’re called children of God!
That’s who we really are.
But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us
or take us seriously, because it has no idea
who He is or what He’s up to.” 1 John 3 : 1 MSGThe world will have no idea who our Father is unless we share His stories.
I also love sharing stories about Him.
Let me tell you about our Father.
He knows our needs before we do.
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8 MSG
Just like my earthly father knew I needed him to show up at the hospital, our heavenly Father knows our every need.
Sometimes it is a word of encouragement, the counsel of a friend.
It could be a prayer, a meal, or someone showing up when you need a helping hand.
Our heavenly Father knows our needs.
I can tell you that as I was preparing this message to share at church a friend texted me that
she was praying for me as I was praying for me.Her timing was God’s timing.
He knew I needed that encouragement.
He will find you wherever we are.
“For the Lord God says: “I will search and find my sheep.” Ezekiel 34 :11
I knew that my earthly father would find me when he thought I was lost.
But to think of the God of the universe cares for me in this way?
Think of the number of children our heavenly Father has, and yet will still search even just one who is lost.
Maybe you are feeling lost today,
I promise you your heavenly Father will find you wherever you are.
In good times and in hard times, He is with us always.
My father was always there when I needed him.
Our heavenly Father has always been there for me as well.
There is nowhere I can go that He is not.
That gives me such peace.
“Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
Psalm 139 : 7-12Did you know that there is nowhere we can go that He isn’t there?
He wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives, good and bad.
He is all in.
He always welcomes us with open arms.
“All whom My Father has given to Me will come to Me.
I will never turn away anyone who comes to Me.”
John 6:37My father always welcomed me with open arms.
Our heavenly Father has never turned me away.
There have been moments in my life where I moved away from Him, and He has always welcomed me back with open arms.
There is a verse in the song, “The Goodness of God” that says “I’ve known you as a Father, I’ve known You as a Friend.”
He has been those things to me and so much more.
Maybe there is something in your past or in your present that makes you question if God will
welcome you with open arms.Let me tell you about our Father.
He will not turn you away .
He tells us in His word, that He will never turn anyone away who comes to Him.
He wants His children to be with Him for eternity.
Just like my father wanted to spend time in my presence, our heavenly Father wants to spend time with us, too.
All of eternity to be exact.
God wants all of His children to come home someday.
He made a way for that to happen when He sent His Son to die on the cross and take our place.
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. ” John 3:16
Friends, He is just waiting for us to turn our face to Him, to unbusy our lives and to have a conversation with Him.
We are all invited to have a relationship with our heavenly Father and to experience His love in a real way,
It is the most important relationship you will ever have.
His love is transforming.
So I encourage you today to share stories about our Father so that others can experience that love as well.
Sharing our stories makes us feel closer to Him.
It’s ok if you read this and don’t know who I am.
But I want you to know who He is.
And if you remember nothing else today, remember this:
Because of our heavenly Father, we have never spent a day of our lives that we were not loved beyond measure.
That kind of love is transforming.
Share His love today.
Amen.
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The Light That Never Goes Out
Christmas Day is cited by many to be their favorite holiday.
But for me, it has always been Christmas Eve.
Hearing the story of Jesus’ birth and the candlelight service are familiar and comforting.
Watching the candles illuminate the room while singing Silent Night is like a balm to my soul.
Peace and hope fill my heart.
Yet despite the familiarity of the service this year, something new caught my eye.
At the end of each row high above the pews, taper candles were lit by the acolyte before the service began.
As I listened to the songs and the scripture, I kept getting distracted by how some of the candles were burning quicker than the others.
The wax from one candle in particular had melted over the side of the pew, leaving only a small flame where a tall candle once stood.
This candle had burned brightly, but was gone even though others seemed to be just getting started.
Sometimes I wonder why these things catch my eye, but in those moments I know God has something to say.
This year some lights have burned out more quickly than others.
The unimaginable death of a young person that leaves a family with pain in their hearts so raw.
The end of a relationship that you thought would last.
The healthy person who now faces a terminal illness.
Words seem to be so inadequate in these moments.
Being present to surround those facing hardships with love, is at times, the most we can do.
And then there is this story.
The one I love to hear every year.
That is like a balm to my soul.
The one that fills my heart with peace and hope.
Because it is about the One who fills me with peace and hope.
“And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born; and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in a blanket[a] and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem! How will you recognize him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger!”
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,” they sang,[d] “and peace on earth for all those pleasing him.” Luke 2: 6-14 TLB
Friends, I don’t know what makes your heart ache today.
But the light of our Savior is one that will never go out.
May His story fill you with peace and hope today and in the New Year.
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Holding Onto Hope in the Hard Seasons
As I drove through Delaware Water Gap, a sea of green flashed through the passenger window.
The tree line along the river was a familiar sight.
On this particular day though, a small patch of burnt orange and gold broke up the landscape.
A new season was on the horizon.
I love how God always speaks through His beautiful creation.
This last season has been a particularly hard one.
The loss of a loved one in our family has been devastating.
Some moments feeling helpless, others feeling sad.
Moments feeling more comfortable sitting in silence than absorbing the noise swirling around me.
And while there was laughter and meaningful conversations amidst the tears that I am so grateful for, I would be lying if I said that I have not felt weary.
Holding onto hope can feel almost impossible in the hard seasons.
A relative told me during this most recent journey that she believed death was easier for me because of my faith.
This statement is something that I have reflected on over the past few months..
Even with faith, there is nothing about death that is easy.
When I am weary, I know who holds me up and is by my side.
My hope has a name.
Jesus.
He is my bridge over troubled water.
The one I turn to for comfort.
The one whose presence puts my anxious thoughts at ease.
God tells us in His word that our despair will not go on forever.
The people of Israel had been through many dark seasons.
But they held on because they knew hope was coming.
A new season was on the horizon.
A season of light.
“ For unto us a child is born;
unto us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder.
These will be His royal titles:
“Wonderful,”
“Counselor,”
“The Mighty God,”
“The Everlasting Father,”
“The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 TLB
We all experience many seasons in our lives.
Our heavenly Father tells us there is a time for everything.
There is a right time for everything:
A time to be born;
A time to die;
A time to plant;
A time to harvest;
A time to kill;
A time to heal;
A time to destroy;
A time to rebuild;
A time to cry;
A time to laugh;
A time to grieve;
A time to dance;
A time for scattering stones;
A time for gathering stones;
A time to hug;
A time not to hug;
A time to find;
A time to lose;
A time for keeping;
A time for throwing away;
A time to tear;
A time to repair;
A time to be quiet;
A time to speak up;
A time for loving;
A time for hating;
A time for war;
A time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 TLB
Friends, I don’t know what season you are in right now.
But I know this.
Jesus will be with you.
He is the hope we can hold onto in every season.
And that is something to give thanks for this holiday.
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Wide Open Spaces
Holding on and letting go.
Finding the balance in this crazy life feels harder some days than others.
Maybe it is holding onto a relationship, a job or even a place.
Maybe it is letting go of someone you love.
As parents, our roles morph over time.
In what feels like a nanosecond, we work to protect and care for our children.
Then in the blink of an eye, everything shifts.
We are to send them out into wide open spaces where we can no longer offer protection.
A place where they will spread their wings, make mistakes and grow.
It’s the stuff that country songs are made of.
Seriously.
So as I sat with my long-time friend and our sons last night at the Chicks concert, the words to the song Wide Open Spaces seemed to reflect that moment of holding on and letting go.
*Insert lump in throat here.
Who doesn’t know what I’m talking about
Who’s never left home, who’s never struck out
To find a dream and a life of their own
A place in the clouds, a foundation of stone
Many precede and many will follow
A young girl’s dream no longer hollow
It takes the shape of a place out West
But what it holds for her, she hasn’t yet guessed
She needs wide open spaces
Room to make her big mistakes
She needs new faces
She knows the highest stakes.
Sending a child to preschool for the first time with new faces.
Sleepovers and overnight camps.
Moving into their first apartment.
Regardless of how old our children become, we always want to protect them from the hurts and challenges we know they inevitably will encounter.
We want to hold on just a little longer.
Letting go doesn’t mean our children will be alone.
But God.
As His children, our heavenly Father promises to be with us in this world.
Even those wide open spaces.
He brought me out into a wide open place;
He delivered me because He was pleased with me.” Psalm 18:19 NET
Before I would send the boys to school when they were little, I would hug them and ask them, “ do you have enough love for today?”
Even when I could not be with them in the wide open spaces, I wanted them to know my love was with them.
More importantly, I want them to know that their heavenly Father’s love is always with them.
Regardless of how far they go or the mistakes they will make along the way.
The wide open spaces do not feel so overwhelming when I remind myself how wide and deep God’s love is for my children.
And for you and me.
“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT
Friends, I do not know the wide open spaces that you and your loved ones may face.
It may not be an overnight camp or new apartment.
Maybe it is a rehab or a prison.
Maybe it is not a place at all, but an abusive relationship or an illness.
My prayer is that wherever those places your loved one is, that you rest in knowing that His love is so vast it can find them anywhere.
Even the wide open spaces.
“Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20 NLT
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