Can we ever become too practical? Could it be we become so driven by accomplishments and outcomes that we forget the joy of the process? Is it possible to forget so many lessons are learned on the journey? If we are only thinking about the goal and getting it right, are we missing the point?
I love to be creative. I enjoy writing and drawing, cooking and recreating. It sparks something inside of me. It allows me to explore a different part of myself. In my work life, it is about numbers and processes. I am fairly good at these things. I appreciate knowing that something went well or that a process helped to get to the end goal. I don’t mind reviewing numbers to make sure everything matches up. But it doesn’t allow for a considerable amount of creativity. I only get the opportunity to become creative on a few small areas of an overall project. So I find I lose the initiative to create. I seem to let that part of me fall to the side in an effort to accomplish.
I think that when we do this, we lose a part of ourselves. We lose the joyful, playful, fun part of life. When we allow ourselves to create, we experience something deep inside which brings back the child in us. We don’t have to get it right. It doesn’t need to be pretty or perfect. It is simply about creating, no matter the outcome. It could be drawing a funny picture or cooking and decorating a cake. It could be building an end table or planting a new flower garden. Creativity opens up a world within us which shows us possibilities are endless and fun. We are often able to let go of the stress and anxiety of it all just to create. And, if we are having fun, even if the end result is not our best, it just doesn’t matter.
God gives us a creative side. He instills in us the joy of shaping, molding, trying and laughing. He shows us through his own creation how important it is to continue to explore. If we are, indeed, made in his image, we are also given this need to create. This may be the key to letting go just a little. It may be the key to relaxing. It might even cause us to smile a little more.
What can you create today to bring a smile? How can you have fun today without having to worry about the outcome? What joy is waiting for you that is currently undiscovered?
Focus Scripture:
Job 8:21
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouts of joy.
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There is no telling how many dreams and visions go unfulfilled because we humans have decided it is too late. We feel like we are past our prime. We have obligations that prevent us from pursuing our dreams. We are too old or too far gone or too tired or too… well, you get the point. We feel like it is too late to do what we have always envisioned. We want to BUT…and the excuses pour faster than water down the falls. What really keep us from pursuing our goals is us.
We could easily spend our lives surviving, and that is it. Just getting up in the morning to face the day and getting it done is the only goal. With a few joys here and there, we decide that is all life is about. Yet, we miss the point. We miss that God has created us for so much more. God has given us dreams and visions, talents and gifts to live abundantly. We are the only thing standing in our way. We are the missing piece of the puzzle. We are the limiting factor.
I can’t help but think about Moses. He had settled down in his life. He had run, hidden, and found a new normal. But God had created him for more. He was to be the leader of a great exodus. All he saw was a hillside but God saw beyond. He wasn’t a young man when he began this part of his life. It wasn’t easy or smooth. But it was his goal, his mission.
I also think of Abraham and Sarah. They had given up on their dream. They had worked around the dream for as much as they possibly could. They had tried to figure it out for themselves. They settled for where they were. But God had something more. They were the only things holding them back. God was working in and through them.
The focus scripture today is the calling of Samuel, heard through a dream. God was and still is at work. I wonder about all of the dreams and visions that go unfulfilled because we have decided it is too late. Instead of limiting ourselves, maybe we instead begin to dream again. Maybe we seek God and all he has for us. I don’t think God is done with us yet. And I think there are some pretty powerful dreams waiting to come to life. Dream on, children of God. It is not too late.
Focus Scripture:
1 Samuel 3:9-10
9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
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Wendy and I enjoy watching cooking and baking shows. We actually learn a lot more than we expected. For instance, vegetables have different names depending on where you are from. There are really cool techniques I have never seen used before. Certain ingredients complement each other that I would not have thought. Tradition plays such a huge part in how one cooks. These have all been great lessons for me. It helps me consider how limited my knowledge really is.
My most recent favorite has been the British Home Cook Competition. This is our second British cooking show we have watched in the last few months. I have noticed a couple of things about these two shows, in particular. The first is that everyone in the competition has been so cordial. Sure, they are in a competition and want to win. But they encourage and motivate each other. It is not cutthroat. It is not manipulative. They just do their best and encourage each other to do the same. When someone loses, they all rally around. It has been so refreshing to watch. The second thing I have noticed is that there is no prize money. Apparently it is customary to not win money or gifts for these types of competitions. One did win a golden apple – and that is it. In the other show, the winner received nothing. They just got the recognition of having won. It was all about the experience. They were in it simply to enjoy the experience and have fun. The winnings did not matter.
Now, that is a concept we don’t hear very often. It seems we are always out for something. All too often, people will manipulate and take anyone down just to win. But not in these competitions. It is just about the experience.
I wonder if this doesn’t give us a glimpse into the Christian life. It isn’t about the competition. It isn’t about who is the best singer or preacher or cook or servant. What if it is simply about the experience of following Christ? What if it isn’t about a tally of who was the best or who was the most faithful but rather simply helping each other along in the journey? What if it really is about supporting one another and doing our best to lift each other up? What if the journey is about the everyday experiences of love, kindness, peace and joy? What if it really is about following Christ with our whole heart and helping others do the same? It just might change the world. Or at least, it may change us.
Focus Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 5:11a
11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other
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The time the sun is up is getting shorter. We are feeling the cooler weather in the mornings. The trees will begin to change. It is the transition of seasons. I find it a little more difficult to get up and going in the mornings when it is dark for so long after I get up. It feels like the beginning of the day is delayed. But there is an advantage I had forgotten over the summer.
Early in the morning, at just the right time, the light of the moon shows the way. We don’t often think about how much light the moon does give. We associate it with dark and nighttime. But if we leave the creature comforts of our yard lights, the moon takes on a new vibrance. It seems to go unnoticed for most of us because we have the house lights on. The first thing we often do when we get up is turn on a light. When we go outside and it is dark, we turn on a light. We don’t give the moon a chance to shine so brightly.
We really notice the beauty of the moonlight when we allow our eyes to adjust. When we are outside without manmade light, there is a brilliance. No manufactured light should be on, just us and the moon. The moon can be so bright that it casts your reflection. It can light up the entire area around you. Your eyes begin to see by the light of the moon in all its glory. But we never notice this if we simply live by the lights we have created. When we block what God has given us with things we have made, we miss the creation.
It doesn’t just happen with lights. We have made things for our comfort so much that we forget or ignore God’s creation waiting to be seen, experienced, and enjoyed. We don’t notice the fresh air because we have manufactured air. We don’t walk through the woods because we have roads. We don’t walk in the dark because we always have light. Our mindset is to ignore the creation for convenience. And oh the things we miss.
Today, maybe we turn off the light and just look. Maybe we leave our home to hear the birds sing. Maybe we sit outside with no electronics to experience the goodness. It may seem odd for a while, even boring. But there are so many joys waiting to be discovered if we just stay with it. God has created the beauty. Don’t miss it…don’t let it go unnoticed.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 74:16-17
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. 17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
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As much as I talk about looking for God at work, I am still blown away by his presence. It really is the small, often unnoticeable events that speak the loudest. It is as if God paints a picture that could not be replicated, even if we tried. As creative as we are, we receive our creativity from the Creator – and he is simply amazing. We still have so much to learn.
Yesterday, it was another rainy day. I was driving to work, focusing on the road ahead. I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw something that was unexpected. I saw a vivid, beautiful rainbow. Looking ahead, all I saw was rain and maybe a slight break in the clouds. But looking in the mirror, I saw a painting that fascinated me. I could make out all the colors, so bright and vibrant. I could see the magnificence as the rainbow arched high into the clouds, seemingly endless. I tried my best to focus on the drive, but this sight continued to capture my attention. Knowing that it was something that can only be experienced for a moment, I did my best to take it in. This welled up thoughts of gratefulness in my heart.
There are a few things I noticed about this moment. I could have easily missed it if I was focused only on the rain. If I only saw the dreariness of the day, I would have missed the brilliance that was just around the corner. If I was stuck in the despair, I could have missed the joy. It was right there for me, but I had to actually see it. I had to take a moment and see what was right beside me. What I focus on really does make a difference. There can be rain but there can also be a rainbow.
I also noticed that occurrences which happen often can still take our breath away. This isn’t the first rainbow, nor will it be the last. But this one appeared just when I needed it. This one spoke to me at a moment when a sign of hope was the needed message. It was the right painting at the right time. But I had to see past the regularity and see the extraordinary. Rainbows happen, but they can still surprise.
Where is God working today that might surprise you if you just look? What might God be speaking in the ordinary? How might he change your day from rain to promise? His presence is all around us if we just take a moment to notice. May he shock and surprise you with his goodness today.
Focus Scripture:
Genesis 9:12-16
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
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Yesterday, I spent the day on the road traveling for work. I always enjoy the opportunity to get out of the office, even if it is just a limited time. There are always new sights to see and bumper stickers to laugh at. I have found some really fun and eye opening sayings on the back of people’s cars. Yesterday it wasn’t a bumper sticker, but was equally entertaining for me.
It rained for the second half of the trip. I was following an SUV with the rear windshield wipers. That’s no big deal – I have them. But I happened to notice they didn’t go all the way across the window. And then they did. And then they didn’t. The wipers would stop intermittently part of the way through the cycle and begin again. It was always at a different place they would pause. Eventually they made enough progress to clear the whole window, but it took some effort. They would start a little ways, stop and return. Then go farther, stop, and begin again. It really is the small things that capture my attention as you can tell. I admit I watched this for way too long.
My first thought was – I would have to get that fixed. That is just crazy. Something must be wrong. But as I watched, I noticed it did the job. It took several attempts. It wasn’t smooth. It wasn’t optimal. But it served its purpose. It cleared the windshield. The person could see because it was there. It wasn’t perfect, but it was effective.
We can feel less than perfect – maybe even a bit defective sometimes. We can think that we are inadequate or less than acceptable. We see our flaws. We know our downfalls. We understand our shortcomings. Yet, God sees something in us that he finds beautiful and good and of great value. The way we do things may not be the most perfect way, but our calling is simply to be faithful. We may hobble along in our calling or even stumble for what seems like way too much of life. We may feel so unprepared or even a fit defective. Yet, here we are. And God is with us. And God has created us and we are good. When we are faithful, we are serving his purpose. The way we serve is the way God appointed.
Maybe we aren’t defective at all. Maybe we are creative, unique creations powered by a wonderful God to do amazing things we can’t even fathom. Maybe we are just called to serve the purpose and watch God take care of the rest. So go forward and serve.
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 86:8-12
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name. 12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
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It can happen. Most of us struggle to believe it. We have heard about it but can’t take it in because it may not have happened to us. Actually, it is difficult to believe unless we have experienced it firsthand. It is miraculous, yet not your ordinary miracle. If nothing else, it certainly is lifechanging. It can only happen through God’s presence.
I don’t know how God does it, except to say that God has promised us an abundant life. I don’t mean a life filled with things – material goods. I mean a life filled with meaning, purpose, fulfillment, and joy. I mean a life filled with all that really matters. These are the things which make life worth living and help us to get up in the morning, despite the fact it is Monday. These are our motivators to face whatever is in front of us. Knowing that God has this ultimate plan and it is good helps us to take on the tasks of the day.
What is all of this? What is this miracle? What is it that we seek? The Psalmist (recorded at the end of Psalm 30) says it best:
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
Imagine taking off all that holds you down and replacing with dancing, joy, praise and thanksgiving. For just a moment, we are relieved of our depression, our loneliness, our sickness, our hurts and our longings. We are given a new coat. We are given something that makes us dance and praise. We are clothed with the joy of the Lord.
It doesn’t happen all the time. Sometimes we must first sit with our grief. There are times when mourning is right. We all go through difficulties and that is okay. But there is also a time that God gives us a new outfit. It is as if the sun shines a little brighter and the air is a little more crisp. Nothing in our life has changed except that God has shown us this abundant life we still get to live. It is a new outlook in an otherwise dreary situation. It is a new, snug feeling of being wrapped in God’s joy. It is trading in where we are for where God wants us to be. And it can be refreshing.
May God trade in your mourning and give you dancing. May he clothe you with joy today. May you live in praise and thanksgiving so that your head is lifted and your eyes see where your help comes from. May you see the abundant life – your abundant life.
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Growing up, one of my absolute favorite shows was The Cosby Show. I have watched every episode, most of them multiple times. It was a formative show for me as I was growing up. There were so many life lessons that were weaved into laughter and celebration. It also brought many one-liners that have been heard over and over – like, “I brought you into this world, I can take you out”. There were lessons about budgeting and dating, the importance of family and the celebration of togetherness. But there is one particular episode that sticks out to me. Lately, I have been thinking about it a lot. It was aired back in 1988 and is in season 4, episode 18.
Rudy is a little girl and she writes a story. The episode is called “Once Upon a Time”. As she begins to tell her story, her family acts out what is happening. There is an evil person, there are people being forced to do bad things (in this case, dancing into exhaustion), and there is a flower girl. At the end of her story, the flower girl can’t take it anymore. There has been too much fighting, too much evil, and too much punishment. So she yells – STOP! She does it with the determination of a little girl seeking peace. And when she yells STOP!, that is the end of the story. Cliff and Claire ask her what’s next and she simply replies – they stopped. They ask her about the evil and the dancing and the like – she said, they stopped. All just stopped. She says that one day, she is going to be president of the world and will just get people to stop being mean to each other – just STOP! The episode ends with Cliff and Claire watching TV with all the bad news reports (which sounds strangely familiar to watching TV today). Cliff yells up to Rudy – hurry up and become president, we need you now!
It’s a cute episode and we wish it could be that easy. We wish that things could change with the proclamation of “STOP!” As adults, we know that is impossible. Yet, there is something special about a child’s imagination. Jesus teaches us to become like little children – where our imaginations are boundless and we live with willing trust and true faith. So maybe there is something to all of this. Maybe Rudy was onto something.
Today’s scripture is from Psalm 46. For a moment, I will need you to bring your childlike imagination with you. I will need you to hear this Psalm from the perspective of God’s power and majesty.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
I don’t know about you, but I hear this proclamation from God to “STOP!” Did you catch it? Let’s look at this Psalm for all that God has for us to hear and learn. We are first told that God is our refuge and strength. That, for me, tells me that we have a shelter, a place we can go. We have a place we can run when it all seems out of control. We are not alone in this craziness. God has provided a refuge with open arms – and arms that are strong. We do not have to be strong because we are resting in the arms of strength. He will be our strength. He will give us all we need to endure.
Because God is our refuge and strength, we will not fear. Fear is a tactic that is used so often in our world and we don’t even notice it is being used. If someone can make us fearful, we will react the way they want us to react. Fear gives power over to another person. Fear transfers our trust and causes us to doubt. When we allow fear to take hold of our lives, we have lost the ability to make good, sound decisions. We will live in a place of reaction rather than action. Fear takes hold and doesn’t let go. That is what terrorism is about – instilling fear so that actions are based in that fear. And reactions based on fear are often irrational. But if God is our strength, our refuge, and our help in trouble, we have no reason to fear. We are able to make sound decisions based on the strength of God and the power that lives in us as his children.
That does not mean there will not be things to fear, though. The Psalmist is clear about that. The waters roar, the mountains tremble, the nations are in uproar, and kingdoms totter. That sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Sounds like hurricanes, earthquakes, fighting among nations and powers being overturned. Sounds much like what we experience today. It is as if God is speaking to us in our place and time. God has a message. In this middle of all of this…he utters his voice and the earth melts. Maybe, just maybe he yells STOP! In that proclamation, wars cease and weapons are destroyed. There is no need for them because God has spoken – God is in control. God calls for peace.
And then I hear a proclamation for you and me – it is also STOP! We are told to be still and know that he is God. What does it mean to be still? It means to stop. It means to be quiet. It means to listen, to pay attention to God rather than our fears. It means that things change when we simply stop. When we do, we know that God is God and we are not. We have nothing to fear because God is with us. Just STOP!
Sounds very childlike, doesn’t it? It may sound a bit utopian. But I challenge you to think like this for a moment. You may be thinking about how our stopping will not change the world. If we proclaim “STOP!”, it doesn’t change the world. But, what if it changes us? What if stopping really does begin to change who we are? What if it has an effect on our lives? What if we stop living in so much fear? That may just change us. Being still may just be the key in calming our own lives. Proclaiming God over our lives may be exactly what we need. And if we change ourselves, it might make a difference for our little world. And to change ourselves is really all we can do. But big change may come when we simply stop, be still and know.
Rudy may indeed have been onto something. Maybe the key is to stop. Stop living in fear. Stop allowing others to manipulate you through fear. Stop trusting in anything other than the Lord. Stop spreading hate and judgment. Just stop. Be still and know God is God.
I pray that God’s peace will fill your hearts today. Know that when we follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, it doesn’t mean life is easy. It doesn’t mean we are exempt from pain or struggles. It does mean we are filled with HIS presence which is a refuge and strength. We are, after all, called the children of God. And he calms his children and provides life today and forever. May we follow God together – and not in fear. May we simply STOP.
They capture my attention. They seem to have a calming effect that I cannot grasp. It isn’t just me. Other people have it as well. There is something about the rhythm of the ocean. The coming in and going out sing a lullaby of peace if you listen carefully. While I can fall asleep most anywhere, if you put me in a beach chair under an umbrella, that’s an extra special equation for sleep. It isn’t just the ocean, though. It is the mountains as well. The majesty of God’s creation in the horizon gives a sense of comfort. For me, it is as if I am surrounded by God’s army, protected by his goodness. The air is clearer and my mind seems to let things go in search of something better. Both of these places speak of God to me.
I can’t always be at either. It just isn’t possible. I am privileged enough to live between the two – so both are accessible. But work, family, obligations and the like call for my attention. So the trips to either location are fairly limited. What do I do in the meantime? I look in my own backyard.
It doesn’t sound glamorous or special, but it is beautiful to me. I sit in my rocking chair in the backyard and appreciate all I have been given right around me. It may not have the ocean or the mountains, but it has some pretty incredible features. There are birds, trees, blooms, and more beauty than I can take in. There is family surrounding me. There is love that comforts me. As I think about it, my own backyard has so much more to offer that I can easily take for granted. So maybe today, I change my view. I don’t need to change my location, just my view. There is goodness right where I am. The view looks beautiful from where I sit. I couldn’t really ask for more than that. How’s your view this day?
Focus Scripture:
Psalm 147:7-11
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre. 8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry. 10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner; 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
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Personally, I find this is one of the most powerful and loving images in all the Bible. When I read God’s Word, I hear love. Sometimes it is tough love. Sometimes it seems the opposite. But if I take the Bible as a whole, I hear, read, and feel God’s love. It isn’t about punishment or anger or destruction – but about love. This particular passage is in the second chapter of the first book. It is a story most of us have heard. I try to talk about it a lot as well. For me, though, this scripture speaks of just how much God loves and cares for us. It tells me of his careful, loving, creative hands finding joy in his creation.
In Genesis 2, we are told of God making the earth and heavens. We are told of the plants and garden. But those are stated matter-of-fact as created. But when he came to humanity, there was an intention. There was a special effort to create. And it fills our lungs with good things – literally. We read that the Lord God formed humanity from the dust of the ground. In our mind’s eye, we can just see the formation, the careful construction of something beautiful. We can see the precision and attention in every detail. We are, after all, made in the image of God. So this was no quick, rush job. This was one of his greatest creations and it was good. After he forms humanity from the dust, he breathes life into the nose. Think about that for just a moment. Think about God’s very breath entering the nose, lungs and being of creation. God breathes life. God’s very breath gives life to humanity. Now that is amazing.
The beauty is that he continues to do so. He is still filling our lungs with good things. He is still breathing life into his good creation. He is still making, remaking, shaping, forming and making all things new. He created me and you. He loves us. He took careful attention with us. We are his creation. We have his breath which gives us life.
You are no mistake. You are no failure. You are a beautiful, wonderful, God-breathed creation. You are sculpted and formed into good. So rise up, beautiful ones. We have work to do.
Focus Scripture:
Genesis 2:4b-8
In the day that the LordGod made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery. Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 
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