I often find myself planning out my week and thinking so much about what I have to do that I forget today. I forget today has gifts and beauty and joy. I forget today is filled with experiences and sights and hope. I forget because I am focused on what is to come. So, in turn, I miss what is right before me. I essentially think so much about the destination that I do not enjoy the journey.
When I run in the dark, I have a light to help me see (and for others to see me). If I shine that light too far out, I can see at a distance but I cannot see where I am running. I can’t see where my foot will land. I can find myself looking so far ahead that I trip or lose my balance right where my feet are.
All of this to say, don’t miss today. Don’t miss this day. Pick your head up and look around. Experience where your feet are, right now. See the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. We don’t get to repeat this day (sometimes THAT is the gift). We don’t get a do-over. We simply get the opportunity to take advantage of what we have, right now.
Today, let’s do what we are taught in the Gospel of Matthew: “34 ‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” I might even add, today’s gifts are enough for today. Today is enough. Don’t miss it.
So what? What’s it all for? These are words which can really take on a new life as we move past Christmas. The trees are down, the lights have been turned off, the presents have been unwrapped, the programs are over, the singing of the carols has ceased. Is that it? Are we done? Was Christmas just a fleeting moment in our lives? It is just a month of dinner parties, extra food, special songs, beautiful sights, and presents? Is that all there is?
This can be a dilemma for so many of us. Some are tired from the season and just want things to go back to normal. Some are already planning for next Christmas. Some are trying to figure out how they will pay for the gifts purchased during the previous season – or seasons. There’s cleaning and changing – and school will return very soon.
But there’s more. Actually, the more is what the season was really all about. The more…the more we don’t want to bypass. The more…the more we don’t want to ignore. The more…there is more to this season, even with the lights off and the decorations put away.
The more is what Jesus came for. The Advent and Christmas season was a time of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. It was a time to remember Emmanuel, God is with us. It was a time to reflect on the fact that God sent redemption in the form of a baby to this world because he loves us that much! This is beautiful and meaningful themes. But so what? What do we do with this info now? What do we do as we begin a new year and try to figure out what’s next?
Christ came for a reason. Christ is here for a reason. Emmanuel, God is with us, for a reason. It is so that we might be “in Christ”. What does it mean when we are “in Christ?”
According to Ephesians 1: In Christ, we are given every spiritual blessing… In Christ, we are chosen in love… In Christ, we are adopted into a greater, bigger family than we could ever imagine… In Christ, we are given redemption and forgiveness through HIS grace… In Christ, we are brought together and given an inheritance… In Christ, we have been given the gospel, the truth so that we might live for him.
Now that’s some pretty incredible outcomes of Christmas. Because of Christ, we have been loved, welcomed, redeemed and set free. We have been called together, brought together, loved together. I love the idea presented by the writer of Ephesians, how God’s plan includes this gathering, this bringing together of all of his children. I think of a mother hen gathering all of her chicks beneath her wings. I think of Psalm 36:7 which reads, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” There is a protection and a love which comes from begin gathered under his wings, loved as one of his own.
God did not sent his Son simply so that we might celebrate his birth and then be done. He sent Jesus so that we might have new life in him. His birth is OUR life. His birth is our redemption. His birth brings the dawn of a new day.
In this scripture, and in all of Jesus’ teachings, this is a joy for the family of God. That means this is so much more than just good news for me or you. This is an “us” declaration. This means we are being welcomed into a great big family which has Jews and Gentiles. It means we are in a great big family which has people who don’t look like us or think like us or have opinions like us. It means we welcome people who have felt unwelcome, unloved, left out, dismissed, hurt, or forgotten. It means we are brought together under God’s protective wings with people who we are called to love and we might not have ever found ourselves in the same place with in any other circumstance. This is the ultimate gathering of folks who truly are living under the commandments of loving the Lord with all we are and all we have…and loving one another.
This is why Jesus taught us not to judge and to love our enemies and to make peace with those who we have issue with…this is why Jesus challenged the love people talked about but did not show. This is what he came for – this bringing together of people in him. And together, we praise him and offer glory to him. This is not about us individually. This is about a collective ingathering of God’s people, adopted and loved by God. This is about begin “in Christ” together.
This wouldn’t make sense in any other economy. It didn’t make sense before Jesus came and didn’t make sense to those in power. But Jesus came for something so much bigger. He was born so that we might have life…together. We could easily think of the people we wish we didn’t have to be a part of this family gathering with – but, if we are honest, there are people who make think that about us as well. But that’s not the point. The point is Jesus. The point is we are in this together because we are loved together. We are “in Christ” as one family.
What do we do from here? Maybe we begin by understanding we are included. Maybe we start with the whisper from God who calls us his child, his beloved. Maybe we begin with the idea we are called and adored, loved and redeemed. Maybe, if we can see ourselves in Christ, we can begin to see others as our brothers and sisters in Christ as well. If we can step back and realize just how loved we are, we might find love for one another. Maybe, once we feel loved, we begin to see others as our neighbor, not our enemy. Maybe, just maybe, God begins his gathering of his children, where we find refuge. Maybe that’s the beginning of Christmas, no lights or trees even needed.
It can seem that Murphy may have been right sometimes. You know the law…if something can go wrong, it probably will. And it can feel like those times build one on the other. Or, if you prefer, it can feel as though the things collapse one after the other until you are left in a rubble. Either way, once it begins, it can feel as though this is just the way it is.
I don’t necessarily think that’s the way it goes, but I definitely FEEL like this is the way it goes. I think once something happens, we are more in tune and more sensitive to things which would not have bothered us otherwise. Those other things may have happened and we wouldn’t have even cared. But the fact they follow one seemingly major problem, it snowballs.
What do we do when we get caught in this loop? It is helpful to take just a moment and step back. It is best if we can get a view from the outside, a glimpse at the reality of the situation. Do things stink? Probably. Are we upset they happened? Most definitely. But is this the worst like we feel it is? Probably not. Most of the time, a new view or a glimpse of the whole situation helps us to see things are not as bad as they feel.
It also helps if we can write those things down. Once we see them on paper, they aren’t nearly as daunting. And they also don’t feel so defeating. In the end, it is helpful to remember we are loved and cared for – even in the most difficult times. Even if the situation really is overwhelming and things really are stacked against us, remembering we are loved can help to shift our perspective.
No matter what, you are loved. No matter what you may face, you will not face this alone. No matter how difficult, the battle is not fought without God standing with you. That really does change everything because God changes everything.
Psalm 73
23 Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterwards you will receive me with honour. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
We are not alone, friends. No matter what we may face, God is with us. May you find God holding your hand today.
I am an anxious person. It just happens to be that way. I work at keeping it to a minimum. Exercise and eating well definitely help. Breathwork helps. Medication helps. And prayer helps more than I realize.
I’ve spend time studying the scriptures and there are many passages which really cause me pause. There are some perplexing. There are some convicting. There are some comforting and full of love. And there are some which I cannot believe are in there. This is one of those (From Philippians):
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Why is this particular one cause me so much trouble? Because it says to worry about nothing. In my mind, I can only think…NOTHING? I worry about everything. What in the world?
I appreciate the message of it. I would love to live it out. And please don’t tell me it’s because I don’t pray enough or trust enough or believe enough. So what is the key? I will share my insight:
The issue with taking one verse is we don’t always consider the whole context. This is a warning I often give. And this particular text needs more. And for me, it is found in the 4 words right before this verse. And these 4 words clarify it all for me… The Lord is near.
That’s right – the key for being anxious about nothing is the fact that the Lord is near. He is with us. We are not alone. We do not face the challenges alone. We do not hurt alone or fear alone or deal with difficulty alone. We do not live this life alone – even when we feel so very alone. The Lord is near.
Will I still be anxious? – Guaranteed. But I am not anxious alone either. I don’t have to worry simply because the Lord is near. But if I do worry, he’s still near. And he still loves me. And he is with you too. And yes, he loves you too!
So just remember – the Lord is near. May you feel his presence even stronger than before – beginning today. Blessings my friends!
A new day begins. This one seems especially different because it is New Year’s Day. It is a day of new starts, new beginnings, new… Well, you get the point. It is a new day and a new year. It can be refreshing to have a fresh start. It can also be intimidating and overwhelming. We want changes, but most don’t want to actually do anything for the change to occur. It seems easier if things just stay the way they are. This is all fine, until it’s not. Change is hard. And it can lead us to just giving up way too quickly.
So here’s something to consider today. Today is a new start. It is a day 1. But guess what? You have unlimited day 1 moments. Now is always a good day to begin. Each day we have the gift of waking up is an opportunity for something beautiful. It is often right before us anyway. We are just so stuck in our own rhythm of life we miss it. We miss this is a new day with a bright beginning. We miss how we can make small changes to begin to head in the right direction. We can read a verse in the Bible – we don’t have to read the whole chapter. We can eat one good meal – we don’t have to eat every meal clean. We can walk to the mailbox – we don’t have to walk 3 miles or 10,000 steps today. We can pray with a simple prayer of ‘help me’ – it doesn’t have to be an elaborate, well thought out prayer. We can simply start. And that can make all the difference.
Don’t forget, if you mess up today, tomorrow is a new opportunity. It is a new beginning. Tomorrow is day 1 too, if you need it to be. Eventually you will see those days begin to build. You will see the momentum kick in. You will see changes happen. It often comes in the smallest moments. But don’t miss them. Don’t discount them.
Finally, give yourself plenty of grace. It won’t be perfect – life just isn’t. Where are you heading? That’s what matters. Just begin.
Blessings as you start your new day, one more time.
Leo is our dog. Wendy and I have had dogs in our lives since we were first married. I brought home our first two and we have had them as an important part of our family continually. They have brought joy, love and excitement to our household.
If I’m honest, all of our dogs have loved Wendy. Even the dogs that started out as one of the kid’s dogs or mine eventually became Wendy’s. She just has that touch and they all love her. Most tolerate me, some put up with me only when she is gone. Then we got Leo.
Leo is our second Vizsla. Emma was my running dog who became Wendy’s best buddy. She was our first Vizsla. Leo was a challenge when we first got him. He was all puppy. And, like Emma, he sleeps in the bed with us. Leo was different. Emma would curl up in a ball and sleep at the foot of the bed. Leo has to lay close enough to touch you, always.
I am not really a touchy type of person. This took more adjustment than I care to admit. He really liked to be close and knew no personal space boundaries. I thought for sure he would just end up as Wendy’s dog, especially since he liked to be close. But, it turns out, he loves us both. He may be the most loving dog ever.
Leo has been through more than his share of challenges. He was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder after being almost completely paralyzed. The prognosis wasn’t great but he powered through. Most recently, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to have a limb removed. Again, he powered through. That’s incredible. But that isn’t all that makes him so special.
What makes Leo so special is his ability to simply love. He climbs up next to me, lays his head in my lap and simply enjoys my presence. He lays as close to us as possible in the bed. He sleeps a lot more now but never misses an opportunity to be right by our side.
Leo has changed me, slowly and with much resistance on my part. He has shown me what unconditional love looks like. He has forced me to crave his presence next to me. He brightens my morning when I come in simply by the excited wagging of his tail. And he never ceases to amaze me. He just loves. And I am grateful. So, I’ll treasure the moments we have left. And his love will always have an impact on me. What a gift from God.
It was an hour before the alarm would go off. My eyes popped open because my brain was in overdrive. There were so many things to do. I went through my day over and over. There was one part I wasn’t sure how it would happen. It needed to happen, but I couldn’t figure it out. And so my brain continued to go through all the scenarios.
This morning isn’t all that unusual. Many mornings I wake up with an agenda and a plan. Sometimes it works out, sometimes not. This particular morning I was more overwhelmed than usual. I felt the weight of it all. I tried to go back to sleep – I still had an hour to go and it would be an early morning as it was. I needed this hour of sleep. But there was no use.
I had told myself the night before that if I woke up early, I would go for a run. I felt confident I wouldn’t wake up early. It was really cold outside and I honestly did not want to face it. I just wanted to stay in my warm bed and sleep until the last moment. But, it didn’t turn out that way. I was awake. I was going to fight it and then I had a glimpse, a momentary vision. It was of a beautiful night sky filled with stars. It was breathtaking. It was as if the vision was speaking to me – this is what awaits. If I’m honest, I still didn’t want to go out in the cold so early. But I got up.
I put on my winter running clothes and headed out the door, very reluctantly. I knew I would feel better if I would just go. So, I did. The run was challenging – I am not in as good of shape as I would like. It was cold and dark. But I headed out anyway.
Here’s what happened – the view was there…the vision was correct. I had forgotten how amazing the night sky was on cold mornings. The moon was bright and the stars sparkled. I was in awe, one more time.
This was my reminder of what an artist the Creator is. The painting poured out before me could not be replicated. Photos would never do it justice. The moment was just that – a moment in time. I would have missed it if I had not gotten up. I would have slept through the magic.
This doesn’t mean I won’t sleep through it in the future. It was a powerful reminder of what awaits if I am simply willing to get moving. Breathe, watch God work, and admire the creation laid before us. What a morning indeed.
Today we transition…we move from ordinary time, when we spent time learning more about Jesus, how God calls us his beloved, and how we are to follow. We move from this ordinary time into the special time of Advent. This is a time of waiting expectedly. There is an anticipation in the air. We are reintroduced to the stories of a Messiah. The songs begin to change, the season changes, there are lights and trees and everything around us begins to look a bit different, at least for a few moments.
As a child, I couldn’t wait for this time because the Advent calendar came out. Door by door, new things would appear until we reached the pinnacle of Christmas. There was apprehension and excitement. We tend to lose that as we grow older. We see sparks of it in our children and grandchildren. We see glimpses in the lives of others. But we can lose the excitement. We have responsibilities and bills, we have things to decorate or bake, we have people to care for and things in life which just don’t go well. We tend to lose the spark because, well…life.
But Advent is a reminder that spark is still there, waiting to be ignited. We are reminded the joy bubbles underneath the surface, not because of the things which bubbled up as kids, and not because of anything which happens during this season in particular. The joy, the spark is brought on because of what we light a candle for today. The spark is brought on by HOPE.
You see, we wait expectedly today for a restoration of hope, even when our world is crumbling. We wait for a reinvigoration of hope, even when we feel more stuck in ordinary time. We wait for a jolt of hope which ignites something deep within us waiting to be awoken. And when we get to this place, we may have a glimpse into the lives of those on that first Advent.
The people were itching for something more. They had tried to follow the rules. They had tried to live by the commandments. They had searched for hope. They had tried to buy, bribe, and take it. But here’s the deal. The hope they were searching would not come as they expected. And even though we know the story, this hope doesn’t come as we expect either.
This brings us to our first Scripture reading – Matthew 1:18-25.
This begins the birth of HOPE. This is the story of the birth of the Messiah, which means it is the beginning of so much more. This is what they were waiting for. This is what we are waiting for. This is what we all wait for. This is the spark. This is the glimpse. This is the truth we couldn’t wait to hear, experience, and live.
But it doesn’t happen as we would have guessed. A woman is pregnant, it isn’t her future husband’s baby. He is trying to help her keep her dignity, the baby, and maybe her life. He is probably trying to help himself in the process too. She goes away, problem goes away, life goes on. But this isn’t a problem, this is a solution.
The solution…Joseph is to married an unwed mother. He is to raise this baby as his own. This baby has a purpose which is too big for any of them to understand…and if we are honest, we know the story and it is too big for any of us to understand as well. Joseph does as he is asked to do.
And here is how hope is introduced…here is how hope is brought to you and me as well…here is the evidence of hope…this is HOPE – Emmanuel. Did you catch what it means? Emmanuel means God with us.
We transition from ordinary time to Advent with a spark of hope, not because of anything we have done or can do. It wasn’t because of anything Joseph could do except be obedient. It wasn’t because of anything the people did, except make a place. It wasn’t because of anything even Mary did, except be willing. And it isn’t anything we do except to open our arms…a baby is coming and he is Christ the Lord.
Here’s my fear, though. My fear is that I become so caught up in ordinary time that I miss the extraordinary hope. My fear is that I become the opposite of Joseph, unwilling to make a change, unwilling to move or so caught in the ordinary parts of my day that I simply skip it. My fear is the world has so clouded my vision that the spark doesn’t ignite for me.
Hope is right there in front of us but we can easily miss it. Think of all the people who were craving this hope and it was right there in front of them, just packaged a bit differently than they wanted. Think of all the people who were so stuck in the way they wanted to do religion that they wouldn’t have given a second look at an unwed mother, much less consider she was carrying the ultimate hope. Think of all the people who had their own ideas of how God would work and completely allowed Jesus to grow up unrecognized and unacknowledged.
Hope was right there in front of them. And so many missed him. Hope is right here in front of us…Emmanuel, God with us. And yet, so many of us miss him. It’s easier to go about our lives just as we are. But if we are going to seriously welcome in Advent, if we want to see and experience hope, if we want to be changed from ordinary into something new…we have to be willing to wait expectedly.
God is with us…what more hope could we possibly need?
I woke up this morning with a hymn on my mind. Music often speaks to my soul and guides my day. Sometimes the music I hear when I awake is something I had been listening to the day before. Sometimes it is from a past church service and resonates with me. And there are the times when the song which plays is seemingly random and just appears in my mind. The latter was the case today.
It is an old hymn which I can’t remember the last time I actually sung it, though I know it really well. And I don’t know that the song has been especially important to my life in the way many of the hymns have. Some hymns stick with me and helped to shape and form my spiritual journey. Some I wonder how they got in the hymnbook and have found them less than helpful. But this one doesn’t fit in either category.
The hymn has a feeling of majesty and presence. It has grandeur and feels as though it carries importance. The hymn is “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” written by Isaac Watts. I think it needs the boldness of the song to carry lyrics which remind us of God’s help, security, and defense.
It is a reminder of the God who formed the earth is strong enough to conquer the things which overwhelm me. The God who has been a safe haven for the saints who have gone before is the same God who can provide a shelter for me when I am afraid. Time moves on so very fast for all of us, but God is not bound by time. He is the help we need no matter what we may face. And, this is the reminder of where our help comes from.
Psalm 121 is a powerful scripture echoing this same message. Where does our help come from? Our help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth. He is our keeper, our stronghold. He is our HELP.
O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come – May YOU calm our fears, renew our weary spirits, provide hope for our futures, and guide our steps.
It’s a phrase we often hear, use and repeat. My Dad would often begin worship with the phrase, and the congregation replying, “All the time,” to which he would say, “All the time,” with the congregation replying “God is good.” It’s catchy. It wakes people up. It brings some sort of agreement. Except, what do we do with the times when we suffer or we struggle? What about the times when all seems overwhelming and God seems more distant than ever? What do we do when we cannot see the goodness of God in the land of the living?
For me, I often struggle with the phrase because the term “good” is attached to worldly attachments. God is “good” when we can pay the bills or money comes in unexpectedly. God is “good” when something works that didn’t work before. God is “good” when I feel content and happy and everything is going my way (or at least my perception of my way). God is “good” when I get what I want. But that is a skewed perspective of good.
I have been considering the scripture in Lamentations 3 which reads, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” This speaks to me of God’s goodness. This is a scripture where I can bow my head and dig my heels in to God being good. Why? Because God’s goodness is not dependent on my outcomes, my wealth (or lack thereof), my health, my attitude, or my sense of fulfillment. Instead, God is good because of his steadfast love. He is good because of mercies from him which do not end. God is good because his faithfulness is great. THIS is why God is good.
I’ll be honest, I still struggle with the phrase and you likely won’t hear me say it on a regular basis. I won’t quickly attribute success to God’s goodness. I will strive not to blame my lack of control on his lack of goodness. Instead, there is a far greater chance you will find me, like the writer of Lamentations, with my soul bowed down and simply searching for hope where there seems to be none.
Is God good? My hope is in his steadfast love, his endless mercies and his great faithfulness. So I suppose the answer is a resounding yes, regardless of where I may be this day.
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 
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