Category Archives: Firmly Rooted

What We Need This Christmas

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Bits of thought have been muddling around in my head for a couple weeks now; it wasn’t till after I had eaten two pieces of chocolate cake with my fingers, mid-day, and announced that I couldn’t wait any longer to get the live Christmas tree for the family room, that the restless push started shaping into words. I need Christmas, and I need it to be wonderful– that’s the bare bones of the thing.

See, I love everything about Christmas and I always have this feeling that there is so much celebrating to do in a month that it will never fit. I don’t want to miss any part of this magical holiday because it won’t be back for another whole year. This year especially it feels important to get it all in, because our family is changing shape and we are letting go of familiar traditions, and the whole Christmas season is rocking on its pedestal.

 Beauty….. Joy….. Meaning…..Miracle….. Wonder….. Peace.

That is Christmas in a nutshell and one of the few times and places on Earth that they all come together for more than a few moments. No wonder we all want to capture it, hold onto it, get as much of it as we can. After another year of pushing on and persevering in this Faith-journey, with death and disease and financial need in the world right down the street, the heart needs a month to contemplate the beauty of Christmas, revel in the sights and sounds of this holiday, hear echoes of the angels’ song: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.” It is a grander story than we could have imagined ourselves, that God would come to dwell in the skin of what He made; that God Himself would come down to bind up our brokenness, declare hope to the whole world.

At Christmas we get a glimpse of glory, get to remember the miracle-story and anticipate all over again– “unto us a Child is born!” We get to look beyond the everyday into the extraordinary and celebrate. “We are no longer lost; He has come down for us. We have a Savior…we have a Savior!”  At Christmas-time it is all on display, and everyone joins in the party whether or not they understand why.

But like many good things the harder we try to grasp it, the more elusive it becomes, and our very striving gets in the way of the experience.  I need to slow down enough to enjoy the holiday festivities. Look at people instead of projects. Keep the food and decorations simple enough that they remain fun and don’t become an overload of stress. Wonderful can turn into overwhelming in the space of a few hours, if I am not mindful.

The best part of it is that I could Keep It Simple and know that I am not missing out on anything, because Christmas is here to stay, a year-round truth not dependent on the accessories of the season. Maybe different this year, but never ruined, as long as we remember the reason for the party. “His love will reign forever…We have a Savior.”

 

“A child has been given,
King of our freedom;
Sing for the Light has come–
This is Christmas.” (We Have A Savior, Hillsong)

Waiting for Christmas

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We didn’t celebrate advent when I was growing up, didn’t know anything about that centuries-old tradition, and when I became a mother and heard other mothers talking about making an advent wreath it seemed like just one more thing to do in a busy season. Later when we started celebrating Advent as a church it was a way to unify the church family’s celebration, focus on the meaning of Christmas and spread out our joy over a whole month.

But somewhere along the way the meaning of the word seeped into my heart and became a lifeline in that mad push to make Christmas picture-perfect (because it only comes once a year and somehow it matters so very much), a still whisper running beneath the season: coming. All the decorating and the baking and the bright wrappings and the music are only preparation for that one special day, and when it comes it might even seem a disappointment, unless you are looking for the right thing….prepared for what is coming…waiting with all the world for a Savior…He’s coming.

Advent is really just a way to make visible the words of the prophets, the collective longings of people in darkness, the long centuries rolling on, the hopes and cries of the suffering. We light the candles and see it..He’s coming…the Christ-child is coming to set everything right in the world…and the flame is burning brightly and nothing is impossible any more because God is with us.

So we light this first candle and our hearts quiet to listen for His voice: “A voice cries ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low…and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.'” (Isaiah 40:1,4-5) And we count the days, pull out the boxes of decorations, trim the tree and the windows, deck the halls of our homes with hope; we rejoice in this month of preparation as we wait for Christmas, that one special day when we stop the world to remember His first coming and wait for His second coming. When the presents and trimmings are gone the promise of this day will remain…“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8)  He is coming!

 

“A child has been given,
King of our freedom,
Sing for the light has come:
This is Christmas…”  (Hillsong)

The Best Thanks

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We share around the table as we do every year, telling what we are thankful for over dessert and coffee, from youngest to oldest. The cousins have grown up with this and their thanks giving has grown with them, from coached one-word answers to heartfelt sacrifices of praise. Someone throws out the prompt: tell something you have learned in the past year that you are thankful for. And the youngest one starts right out and quiets the room with her statement of faith…patience through pain and the ability to find joy, and the next one picks up the thread of finding strength to make hard choices and learning to labor in prayer.

Around the table the words fall thoughtful, sharing uprooting life-changes and struggles met with grace and provision, and others respond, come alongside, with words of encouragement. From youngest to oldest we lay out our thanks offerings from these faltering lips, and God’s faithfulness weaves a covering over this family, hushes our hearts; we worship around this feast of thanks giving. A hard year of life, an abundant year of grace– and isn’t that the way it should be on this day of remembrance, to look back into the wilderness ways we have walked and see the presence of God leading us through?

It was here the Israelites failed in their own desert wanderings…“Our fathers…did not remember the abundance of Your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.” (Psalm 106:7) It was the forgetting that was offensive, because how do you take life and breath and blessing from the hand of the Almighty and not think it a large enough gift to warrant trust and thankfulness? It was the First Sin all over again, in different colors, but in essence the same. “…they soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel…they had a wanton craving in the wilderness. and put God to the test in the desert…”  (v.13-14)  In the desert it is easy to feel alone under the weight of desperate need, but the Musician-King David knew, and Hagar knew, and Moses knew, and Elijah knew, and even Jesus knew– they knew that in the wilderness you can see God at work and hear His voice more clearly than anywhere else, when you pour out your heart to Him and listen hard, wait for Him to answer.

The youngest cousin has lined the walls of her room with the cries of her heart: “Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy….Let me hear in the morning of Your steadfast love, for in You do I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:1,8) And she waits for Him to deliver her from debilitating pain, so she can return to the children of Honduras. But in the meantime she gives thanks for lessons learned, for patience and choosing joy, and that He hears her. This is the best Thanks Giving of all, this going around the table considering God’s wondrous works, remembering the abundance of His steadfast love in the desert times we have walked through, in the past year. “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 106:1)

Amen.

 

“Giving thanks is only this: making the canyon of pain into a megaphone to proclaim the ultimate goodness of God.”  Ann VosKamp

 

“Great is Your faithfulness, oh God.
You wrestle with the sinner’s heart;
You lead us by still waters and to mercy,
And nothing can keep us apart.

So remember Your people,
Remember Your children,
Remember Your promise, oh God…

Your grace is enough…Your grace is enough for me.” Chris Tomlin

Just to Make God Smile

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It was an innocent enough question, tossed out into the discussion in a small group, half for fun and half out of curiousity….until it was coming around the circle and it was my turn and the question was sticking in my throat: What does God like about you? Not the things you do but who you are, and that’s the problem right there when you know for sure that He loves you but you’ve never even considered that He may actually like you too. I choked out something that may have made sense, about the particular way He has made me, but all I could think of was how those same qualities are things people don’t like about me, so how could I imagine He would?

The question is still reverberating in me…What do You like about me, You who made the many-colored fishes in the deepest sea for Your eyes only, and the giraffe with the graceful neck and the ridiculous eyelashes, and the wombats and the wolverines, the lion king, and the little brown sparrow. Because if you made all of them, so varied and amazing in their differences down to the last detail, purely for Your enjoyment and ours, then You surely delight in all the different people You made too. What do you like about me?

These musings keep coming back to the starting place: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14) So if You made me just because You wanted me, then the details of who I am are all Your idea, Your craftsmanship. Not only loved, but delighted in….wonderful… and made on purpose. Granted, some of your creations are more humorous than noble, and some are downright ugly and strange, but even in them there must be something You enjoy, as they live in Your world and respond to You as Creator.

I wonder how life would change if we could learn not to define ourselves with the opinions of others, not spend so much time trying to be happy and significant, to do our best to measure up just to make it through this world in one piece. If we really had the deep sense that the reason we are here is to delight the heart of our Maker and respond to Him in pure devotion and thanksgiving. If we lived the way He made us… and just to make Him smile.

So what does God like about you?

…your heart of compassion for “the least of these”?
…your sense of humor?
…the way you can focus on a task and complete it well?
…that you love to cook for people and make them feel welcome?
…your willingness to help out wherever needed?
…your boldness to dream big?
…that you see and appreciate the beautiful things He has made?
….or?……..

 

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

“It’s all about You, Jesus,
And all this is for You,
For Your glory and Your fame,
It’s not about me,
As if You should do things my way;
You alone are God, and I surrender.” (Kari Jobe)

 

Lean Hard

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On days when the past reaches out with long arms and threatens to choke the life out of the present, remember that there is a Savior. It’s like a friend of mine used to say, who was a seasoned traveler along the paths of suffering: On those days, lean hard on the One who came to carry it for you….all your grief, all your regret, every tear and hard question. He is big enough to take it.

He is the Mighty One who moves mountains when I have only a grain of faith. He is the impossible solution to the problem of sin, and now that He has come, nothing will ever be impossible again. He is the High Priest who knows my weaknesses, and the Lamb of God who carried my sins. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) I can lean hard, in this day, and rest in His presence.

“To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.” Psalm 25:1-2

“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved …” Psalm 18:1-3

Many Thanks

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One of my spiritual mentors said good-bye this morning, and just turned and stepped through the doorway between worlds, between breaths, and there she was– waking up to the Light that will not fade and the solid Reality of God’s glory. It was peaceful and quiet, the way we were hoping it would be. It’s hard to put into words how happy I am for her accomplishment of finishing her race run well, and how I am more than a little envious, and how thankful for what she taught me… all mixed in with sadness for those who remain and resignation for the distance yet to run of our own.

She always treated me like a daughter: taught me to bake bread and to make pies, traded quilting patterns and good mysteries, shared her son, told me stories of when she was young, and loved my children. She introduced me to her own spiritual mentors: Andrew Murray, the Quaker Bible teacher Hannah Whitall Smith, Elizabeth Elliot. Loaned me those classic books when I was barely out of my teen years, and I read them and later bought them for myself because I wanted to keep them close. Dog-eared and worn, they still sit on my bookshelves in the study, on my nightstand, and these days I am loaning them out to young women I know who are hungry for more of the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.

She and I were as different as night and day, really. She was the same age as my grandmothers, born in another era. She loved people and talking and music and dancing– an extrovert if ever there was one. She didn’t like to read a lot of instructions or have too many rules because it took way too much time and attention. She was all about fun and trying out new things for yourself. But in the important things we found a connection, and for over thirty years she influenced my growing as an adult and the way I run this race of faith.

I hope I can love and encourage younger women the way she did, help them grow up to resemble their Father more and more. I pray I can run as faithfully and joyfully as she did, and finish well. Through that doorway (just right there, if we had eyes to see it) there is a “Welcome Home” party going on, and she is in the middle of it, right where she belongs. I am so glad.

 

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15

 

Give Thanks

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I found another of those straightforward statements about God’s purpose for us, laid out in Scripture this week: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Whatever else you are gifted for, if you are not pouring out thanks every day you are missing something foundational about your purpose. Maybe it’s because thankfulness reminds us of who we are and who God is– it is the only proper response of created things to the Maker. The only right answer to blessings poured out for His own pleasure and glory, just because He chooses to love us.

Practically speaking, thanks-giving is good for my spirit, reminds me Who is really in charge of all this: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God…” (Philippians 4:6). And when I choose to focus on all that is gift– really think about the emptying of Himself for our sakes, who were His enemies– how can I doubt His goodness, or His ability to give what is needed in this situation. right now? “If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things….”  Thankfulness leads to trust, and hope, and joy, and “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (v.7)

In everything? In all circumstances? We used to read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day when my children were small, and I always thought no wonder that book was so popular when the adults could relate to the story as easily as the children. But by the time you are an adult those days can pile on top of each other so large they seem to be a way of life, and why would we be thankful then? Gradually I discovered that giving thanks was like a trail of bread crumbs out of the forest, and if I didn’t want to get lost in the dark I needed to lay out that path each day. In all circumstances? Especially then, because that’s when you need reminded most. Of who God is. Of who you are. Of grace. Of good.

At first it might be desperate choice, looking for any small glimpse of grace: a cup of good coffee, a child’s warm body sleeping in your arms, the basket of clean clothes folded neatly. But as your eyes grow accustomed to looking, there is more and more to see: the sun through the leaves, the birds singing at the feeder, the smile of the store clerk, a card in the mail. And after awhile, it becomes second nature, your spirit turned upwards to His to see all the everyday grace He gives, and isn’t that what worship is? — “living life in the conscious awareness of His constant presence” (Jerry Bridges).

We really can’t afford to forget to give thanks. It is God’s will for us who belong to Christ. It is the beginning of trust and peace and joy. It’s a good place to start, when discovering your purpose in life.

 

“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:19-20

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom — and the forgetting of the Lord is the beginning of all sin.”  Ann Voskamp

Looking at You

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In the changes, in the face of a future I cannot see, “Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart.” May the things I love be nothing compared to Your beautiful and awesome Presence in my life. “Thou my best thought…” the first in the morning, the constant reminder when I am working, when I am wrestling with all the little things that can go wrong in a day, when I am tired,  at the close of the day….no matter where I am or what I am doing, “Thy presence, my light.”

When I don’t know what to do, “Be Thou my wisdom;” counsel me with the truth of Your Word. I belong to You, “Thou my great Father,” and You call me Your child. I am never forgotten– You are always with me. When I am scraping by to pay the bills, I will not worry, and when I am blessed with an unexpected windfall I will thank You for Your provision, and use it for good. “High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art…” what I need above all, at the most basic level of my existence.

In the face of disappointment, let me stay my heart on Thee, remember that all things here will fade and crumble.  They are not big enough to satisfy my soul, no matter how much I cling. Let me see Your face more clearly, hear Your voice, and follow, through every storm of emotion. And one of these days, when I am finished with this race, by Your good grace “may I reach heaven’s joys.”  That is my hope and my reward, “O bright heaven’s sun.” It is why I can keep on walking.

“Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O ruler of all.” Amen.

(Be Thou My Vision — from 6th century AD by unknown author)

 

Empty and Filled

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It’s a paradox, like many other truths in the Kingdom, that when you are most needy you are most blessed.  When my heart is hurting, I can receive God’s love and comfort in the most meaningful ways. When I fall short, I fall on Christ’s forgiveness and find a new starting place. When I am most alone, my soul can sense the overwhelming sweetness of the Holy Spirit’s presence. When my spirit is dry and and needy, and aware of all the empty places inside, the Living Water is all I crave. “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

That’s why the apostle Paul could say “… for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) My weakness, my lack, my difficulties– traded for Christ’s strength, Christ’s provision, Christ’s presence and love. Hardly a fair trade, but then, the Cross was always about pure, poured-out grace for those who knew their need.

I’m not at the place yet where I can find delight in my weakness. Maybe just knowing where to turn for help is a good start though. And accepting the way this feels, not trying to ignore it or to fill up with something else to fix it any way I can. Because there is only One who is enough for the poor in spirit.

“All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough.” (Enough, Chris Tomlin)

“We are hard pressed on every side,but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

When You Are Stuck– Part 2

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It was last evening on Rails to Trails, somewhere in the second mile, when I was putting one foot in front of the other, head down, trying not to pay attention to the twinge in my hip and the ache in my knee, that it hit me how much I had missed on this walk. Looking straight up was this sheer glory of gold-green leaves arching against vivid blue, the trademark of early Fall evenings. A few stray leaves had already fallen to decorate the trail with their shapes and colors, and all around was the cool shaded woods, up ahead a little bridge over the creek. And it hit me all at once that faith and determination can indeed choose to take each small step, push me forward to a new place, but if I keep my head down, I will miss all the beauty with which He paints the path.

Eugene Peterson uses a phrasing in The Message version of Colossians 1 that always resonates with me, probably because I need to hear it: “We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.” Faith and obedience and self-discipline can keep you on the right path, but it is God’s strength that makes it sheer joy…thankfulness that paints the trail in all the glorious colors of grace.

So give me eyes to see, dear Lord. Give me ears to hear, and don’t let me miss what You are doing all around me. Let thankfulness re-focus my eyes on You. Let me walk in Your strength and be renewed day by day in this slow and steady race.