Archive for January, 2009
January 30, 2009 @ 6:37 pm | Filed under: Soul Food,The Solid Rock
I remember an old stoplight that I used to have in my Sunday school room. I used it for almost an entire quarter one year as I endeavored to teach a room full of eight and nine year olds about characteristics of sound decision making.
I’m thinking about that old light again today, except I’m imagining a God-sized version; one that I look to for direction in an effort to maintain order, minimize chaos, and streamline all I have going on in my life.
Who doesn’t love a green light? They generally mean yes, and usually turn us loose to run head-on, with abandon and enthusiasm, into a new venture, a new job, a new direction, or maybe even an escape, a vacation, or just a plain ‘ol fun time. These are times that fill us with joy, with good memories, with well-being. We feel loved, cared for, and it’s easy in these times to know Who we belong to and just exactly what our purpose is.
The red lights, the resounding, unmistakable sound of no…? Often times these bring us up short, cause us to freeze in mid-step, right as we’re about to step off the curb and into the crazy highway of Life. I’ve learned to graciously embrace a “no” when they come along because now I know that, while I’m unable to see what lies in wait for me down the way, He sees it all, knows it all, has it all in His hand. In His time. These are moments to catch our breath, slow down, gather strength and knowledge. While not always fun, they are essential to our well-being.
The yellow days, or the times of maybe, are perhaps some of the most challenging ones for me. On a good day, I’ve been known to reluctantly cling to a faith-filled “maybe.” These days are the times when we’re given no clear direction, only the message to take our time, exercise caution, be aware, and look both ways before crossing. One of the hardest to endure words in my psychological, mental, emotional, and spiritual consciousness is WAIT. Yet it is most likely when the most work is done within me.
The only thing that makes wait a concept I can live through is juxtaposing it with God’s promises; especially, Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” I’ve strode to the rhythm of that verse like a mantra in my head during many a brisk morning walk, determined to get it into my spirit so that I could hold on, trust God, and go on to the next thing at hand.
I believe it is when we learn to accept the yellow lights, cross briskly and safely during the green ones, and hug the curb with forced patience while we endure the red ones, that God begins to grant us some of the greatest desires of our hearts. Long-time hopes. Eternal flamed-filled dreams.
When we have waited, persevered, held on to God’s promises, passed more tests than we fell short of, refused to give up hope, and denied giving the enemy of our souls any ground…the path in front of us begins to grow clear. Our way becomes illuminated and – it’s in those moments of clarity – we are able to see that the road falling away behind has carried us to such a special proximity to Him. And the road that is rising up before us is one that is guaranteed to challenge, to thrill, to motivate, to humble, to grow, to make us as strong and able-bodied as we need to be to finish this majestic, wonderful journey.
It’s because of these times that we stand here today, clothed in bright minds and yielded hearts, on the verge of realizing some of the greatest desires of our hearts. We’ve recently crossed the threshold into a new year – fresh, clean and unused – and prepared especially for us. A new year to live, trust, hope, pray, laugh, prosper, grow, praise, and believe God.
There is something inside of me that is vibrantly crying out that 2009 will have been WELL WORTH THE WAIT. It’s our time to shine. It’s our time to share during daylight what God has shown us in the dark, time to shout from the rooftops what He has whispered in our ears in secret.
I’m waiting on Him. During a season of yellow lights, I am mounting up with wings as eagles, I’m running without weariness, walking without the fear of fainting.
January 29, 2009 @ 6:49 pm | Filed under: Faith Lifts,The Writing Life
I posted over at Faith Lifts today. If you have time, pop in and read some of the inspirational thoughts written by my fellow contributors. They are awesome women of God!
January 19, 2009 @ 5:03 pm | Filed under: Family,Pure Sunshine
We just had to share this clip!
January 2, 2009 @ 6:29 pm | Filed under: The Solid Rock,Uniquely Me
I’m not making any resolutions this year.
There are no long lists of goals I want to accomplish, no checklists to mark off. My quest to simplify seems to have worked, at least to some extent, and I think that maybe if I’ve learned anything this past year it has been to roll with the tide, accept and release. Work well with what you have, adjust when changes come, look for the good, let the negative bubble up and off of you like rain water on a really great auto paint job.
Eat well, start the day with quiet time with God, exercise, work hard, play hard, give it all back to God at the end of the day, sleep well.
As I look back over the beginning of 2008, I see me pushing through narrow spaces with too much stuff. Bags of expectation, both of myself and others, sparkly and big. Then there are the pouches, little pockets full of things that I thought made me look better to people, more acceptable somehow. Isn’t this the way it always is with us? We work so hard to achieve the things that don’t truly mark our way in this life, and spend far less time on the far-reaching, life-changing aspects of this journey. No more – I want change, and I want it in me.
The year was full of surprises and virtually all of them were delightful gifts from God. I can honestly say that not one thing on my goal list from this time last year was fulfilled, yet more things than I can count were granted to me that I did not even have the vision on my own to imagine, let alone go out and try to create. My faith was built in ways that changed me. I thought I was solid in Him before, now I do not even know where I start or end in Him, only that I am surrounded by Him so completely.
Somewhere along the way I’ve learned to drop a few of the bags I’d been lugging around, things that I thought were of the utmost importance and must be carried by me, and me alone. In reality they were little more than dead weight and were doing little more than weighing me down, slowing my progress, distracting my focus. I’m packing lighter these days – simplifying – and I’m finding things (and people) with an ease and with a grace that I’ve longed for for such a long, long time.
I’ve also discovered more things in this lighter bag of mine. Forgotten words, growing in spite of themselves, in spite of me. But mostly His word, and this growing need inside of me to be directed by It alone; photos with smiling faces, waiting faces, people I’ve yet to meet, people I will be driven to love this coming year; and there is also this long and winding ribbon that is unwinding before me – the future – and the sight of it is a constant reminder that I desire to leave a legacy that will gift not just my children, but also my grandchildren’s children.
In 2009, I want to carry this one backpack and in it have the essentials – my faith, my love, my relationships. I want to pack light enough to get the good stuff in one bag. Everything else can be purchased as needed as I journey down the road. It’s not about a resolution this year, or a list of goals or dreams or a bullet-point list of things to accomplish.
It’s about living life, and loving every minute of it. Not because each minute is fun or exciting or everything I want it to be.
It’s simply where He has me for this moment in time, and I don’t want to miss a second.
