My Walk, His Path

Yesterday I was reminded that it is important to seek out those with whom I am upset with or who do things that frustrate me.  Understanding what others are thinking or feeling can go a long way in resolving a perceived slight or anger.  In his book, “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, Dr. Steven R. Covey details how if we “seek first to understand, then to be understood” we are able to see things from the perspective of the other person.  We also gain their respect opening them up more to our perspective.

About 25 years ago one of my daughters overheard some girls talking in the school bathroom.  They were saying things like her cousin hated her and wished she wouldn’t interject herself into his circle of friends, he didn’t like her, etc.  She believed them and rather than talking to her soul-mate cousin about it, she decided to slit her wrists.  She became so wrapped up in believing that she was unlovable, even by the one person she was so close to, that she wanted to take her life!  This may be an extreme example, exacerbated by being a teenager in a new school, and parents who were too focused on careers to notice.  But, had she been successful in committing suicide, how devastating would that have been?

           When I was in college working as a waitress I began working on Sunday mornings with a new employee who didn’t arrive until 11:15.  Our usual start time on Sunday was 11:00, so one day I made a comment about it, probably something like “nice of you to show up” but not meaning to be mean or judgmental.  It made her quite mad and she went to the assistant manager.  He told her I was had been around a while and it was likely just my way of saying hello.  I found out that she attended church before coming to work which caused her to be late.  We quickly cleared the air and became friends who worked quite well together!

           In Ephesians 4:26 Paul writes, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you.  Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” (NLT)  When we are controlled by anger we don’t make good decisions, we say and do things we shouldn’t, causing us to sin.  I don't believe that the “Don't let the sun go down” literally means that we let it go at sunset, but that it means that we should address and dispose of our anger quickly, preventing it from festering into sin as we stew on it.  When we seek to resolve our misunderstandings and our anger at another quickly we open our hearts to kindness and positive energy.  When we carry around the hurt and anger we are poisoning our own hearts.

I felt the leading of the Holy Spirit as I wrote down this psalm.  It serves as a declaration of my faith, I hope it inspires you and blesses you!

My God is a God of serenity,

I choose to dwell in His presence.

He is creator of all things,

I choose to rest in the comfort of His embrace.

He is the Master of good and evil,

I choose to sit under the umbrella of His protection.

His timing is always perfect, and

I choose to trust Him in all circumstances.

He formed me in the womb and calls me “daughter”,

I choose to strive to be obedient to His will.

My God is a God of love and grace,

I choose to love others and extend the grace He has given me.

My God is a God of hope,

I choose to embrace this hope for eternity, spent in His presence.

My God sees me in the darkness of my humanity

And is the source of my salvation.

He turns darkness into light.

There is none who comes close to Him,

I am often in awe of the world God has created for us, how our intricate bodies are designed with each part having it’s own function.  While some have trained their feet to hold a pencil and write or are able to walk on their hands as easily as their feet, as a general rule most of our organs are not able to provide the function of another.  My stomach can’t breath in air, nor can my lungs digest the apple I just ate. Blood doesn’t make good spinal fluid, and despite what some say, we really can  think only with our brains.

However, if one organ isn’t functioning properly it can affect how other organs function.  I have been dealing with a torn hamstring tendon, to compensate my gait has changed, surrounding muscles are seizing up, and I am unable to run or jog.  In 1Corintians 12:12-31 Paul of Tarsus uses the analogy of the body to describe how we are all part of Christ’s church with specific functions - teaching, hospitality, preaching, healing, leadership, etc.  Each part has it’s own function and is necessary for the proper functioning of the church.  If one part suffers, the whole suffers.  If one part is honored, the whole is glad.

So where am I going with this?  Our nation is similar to the body also.  Each citizen, organization (whether for-profit or not-for-profit) and government institution has a role in the health of our nation.  As individual citizens we may feel we don’t have much power, but we have the power of our words, to contact those who represent us in the legislative branches.  We have the power to serve in our military or to support those who serve and help keep our nation free from foreign tyranny.  We have the power to treat each other with the respect and dignity befitting a child of God.

Several years ago I read “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp and it opened my eyes and heart to the power of gratitude to transform my craving heart to one of contentment.  Each day I record in my planner the things I am thankful for from the previous day.  As I ponder the previous day I often see where God was working in my life or the lives of those around me.  It might be something simple like a slow driver in front of me reminding me to take a breath and enjoy the commute or seeing someone in a wheel chair and being reminded to be thankful for my health. 

Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to write about my faith without fear of reprisal or persecution, thankful to have been born in a country that values it’s freedom of religion and free speech.

Today’s prompt is from the “Grateful Journal” as noted in day 1 of this blog series.  It states:  “Write about one thing that truly inspires you.”  While several things come to mind, I think right now it’s spending time reading Bible stories to my 8 year old grandson.  He is so open to learning about God and who God is at this stage of his life.  I’m very thankful to have this time to pour into his little soul and discuss how the content still applies to us today.  Full disclosure - it reminds me, too, how awesome God is, how His Word is my playbook for life.

Yesterday we read the story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:27-34). After explaining what a birthright is, I talked to my little guy about how we have a birthright as children of the living God, we are His heirs to the throne of heaven.  And sometimes we can be tempted to “sell” our birthright to the things that our culture says is better or for the quick fix to whatever problem we are currently facing.  We have to learn to trust God to provide for what we need.  And while I’m sure a good deal of it went over his cute little head, I pray that these little lessons will inspire him to seek God on his own when he is older.

What inspires you?  Is there a specific place or person?  Do you have trouble connecting with the source of your inspiration?

“Do you know that smiling when you don’t feel like it can actually change your mood?  Write down five things that make you smile.”  

1) Hanging out with the family makes my heart smile.  I love big family get-togethers, but even the small informal gatherings are to be treasured.

2) Memories of my courtship with my husband and when he hums “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” even if it’s not close to Christmas.

3) Things GK#6 does and says as an 8 year-old, like “Halloween is on the thirty-oneth of October, or dancing on the dock at Port Canaveral.

4) Watching the sunrise or sunset over the ocean.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) states “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  When I reflect on the things of my past I see God’s plan, I see a young woman who was determined to become an accountant, developing skills that would later be useful in my church’s financial ministry.  I see how meeting my husband in the seventh grade and becoming sweethearts helped me open my heart to him in my 40′s - the result being a committed, loving marriage.

“We all have some really great moments.  And those should be remembered.  What is one of the greatest moments of your life?”  Yes, there are a lot of great moments in my life such as marrying my seventh grade sweetheart, delivering two healthy babies, running my first half-marathon at 60 years old, the trust of a dear friend.  One experience that also stands out is being present at the birth of my daughter’s twins.  It is so different to be at the head of the bed, encouraging her, than to be the one in the bed.  The weight of the miracle of birth is so real when you aren’t personally just trying to “get it over with!”  The realization that this at-risk pregnancy might not end well and that your own child is in so much pain.  Then the first baby arrives, almost 6 pounds, and is swiftly taken to the NICU only to be released in just a few hours to the general nursery.  A full two and a half hours later, the second baby arrives at just over 4 pounds.  This one doesn’t need the NICU, she wants room to stretch out and grow.  Being present to take pictures, to hold the tiny bundles, to witness the joy of the new parents - priceless!

My prompt today is “What is the best quality that you feel you exemplify?”  I believe it is generosity as I love to buy gifts for my family and friends, sharing what I have, and giving of my time.  However, asking myself this question really takes some soul searching as I tend to focus on what I’d like to improve about myself rather than on those things I do well.  Such as, I know I have good leadership qualities but hesitate to consider my self a good leader when I look at the places I feel I fall short (developing new leaders and communication).  I believe this lack of faith in myself is the work of the enemy who would have me believe that I am not able to do what I’ve been called to do. Thus, I need to remember the times when God gave me strength and wisdom to lead well and to trust Him to help me lead effectively now.

Today’s prompt reads:  “Life is too short to be busy all the time.  If you could spend the day any way you wanted to, what would you do?”  This is a question that is often asked as part of an ice breaker activity in group settings and I will respond with “go to the beach.”  Psalm 46:10a states, “Be still and know that I am God!”  The best place for me to live out this verse is at the beach and this is where I spend many days given the chance.  To me, there is no place like staring at the vast ocean, a beautiful sunrise or sunset on the horizon, birds swooping and diving, and dolphins jumping.  It is so serene and teeming with life at the same time, and I know that my God created it!  I love to share the beach with my husband and family, but will also go on my own for prayer time and journaling.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to spend a week in Washington, DC, exploring the city on my own during the day while my husband attended training.  This trip happened to fall during the first week of May, the Thursday of which is our “National Day of Prayer”.  I chose to “be still” that Thursday at the National Cathedral.  There I spent a good part of the morning in the prayer room writing in my prayer journal and attended a Christian service at noon.  It was my favorite day that week!  

The reality is that I still let my agenda overwhelm my day, filling it with the mundane and things that distract me (such as cyber-stalking my FaceBook friends or digital games).  Right now I’m staring at laundry that needs folding and a kitchen that needs cleaning, wondering where the day went as it’s almost time to pickup my grandson from school...

I recently purchased “Grateful Journal” published by BroadStreet Publishing, (c) 2019.  The journal is composed and compiled by Michelle Winger.  I purchased it while having breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Wilmington, NC but the book is available from Belle Gifts on Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1424560039?pf_rd_p=183f5289-9dc0-416f-942e-e8f213ef368b&pf_rd_r=9091AWJT6PSDY71MAE5F.  I want to develop a habit of posting to this blog regularly and hope to develop that habit by using prompts from this book.  I’m not sure if I’ll go page by page or skip around, but I’m excited to see where this process takes me! 

In This World You Will Have Trouble…

Why, God?  Why me?  Why now? Why here? Why this?  Why am I in this valley of sickness, pain, suffering, shame, hopelessness?  God, why don’t you heal me from this thing?  Oh, how many times have I asked myself these questions as I traveled through one of life’s valleys?  I want to stay on the mountain top where I can see for miles, see where I’m going, live above the troubles of the city in the valley below.  But do I really?  Do I really want to stay where the winds are cold, the oxygen thin, the winter severe with troubles of its own, the terrain is rugged and a wrong step can be deadly?  How about the plains…the flat expansion of earth that’s not really a valley formed at the base of two mountains, but doesn’t have the rugged edges of the mountain top?  You know the easy place where life is predictable, the children are respectful and help with the dishes, husband and wives love each other with abandon, everyone is healthy, the bills are always paid on time….

We don’t live in this nirvana, we live in a broken world that is full of sin and suffering.  A world where our faith is tested daily, sometimes more severely, more painfully than others.  Sometimes we barely recognize the testing and passing or failing can have life long implications. 

Why must we go through this testing?  Much like the refining of metals to remove impurities and make it stronger, the successful testing of our faith makes us stronger and deepens our trust in God.  When others see how we respond to the difficult time in our lives it can affect their personal walk with God.  My cousin, Brooke, has been battling stage 4 breast cancer for several years now.  This is her second battle with this terrible disease and the aggressive nature of this battle leaves little hope for a complete remission.  Brooke has three elementary-aged children and works as the Women’s Ministry Director at a large church in Columbia, SC.  Her husband, Justin, was killed in a biking accident last August.  I am in awe of her strong faith and how she continues to rely on God in all things.  Through her social media posts, speaking engagements, and personal interactions I am sure she is strengthening others.  Her facebook page is here.  God has provided a strong faith-filled family and community of friends who help her manage her treatments and family obligations as she continues with chemo treatments to keep the cancer in check. 

There are numerous instances of the testing of faith in scripture.  Jesus was tested by the devil for 40 days; Peter and the other disciples were tested and martyred for their faith, Job was tested when the devil took his children and his earthly belongings.  They all came through with stronger faith, faith enough to die for what they believed in.  Jesus now sits at the right hand of God, the disciples at His feet, and Job was given even more than he previously possessed.  They were faithful during their testing.

There are also examples in Scripture where the testing didn’t go so well.  Adam and Eve gave in to the serpent’s testing by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, resulting in their being banished from the Garden of Eden.  Moses killed a slave master.  King David had an affair with a married woman and tried to cover it up by having her husband killed. Still, God used them for His purposes and their names are familiar to both Jews and Christians.

In John 10:10a (NLT) Jesus says, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.”  The thief wants to take our joy, to test our faith and see how strong it is.  How we respond is crucial to where our path takes us.  How do we navigate our valleys, and even the precarious mountaintop well?

Before your faith is tested, surround yourself with strong believers:

We live in a society where fewer and fewer feel they have the need or the time to attend church services, yet this is where we are most likely to find strong believers.  Listening to podcasts or religious music, watching services online, or doing online Bible Studies are great to expand our knowledge of Jesus Christ, but they don’t give us the benefit of  intimate knowledge and relationship found in community with other believers.  Church people are no more perfect than you are, made from the same dust, molded by the same God.

Other strong believers may be in your family or in your neighborhood.  Seek them out, discuss your faith and their faith.  Share your fears and joys.  Start a bible study in your home or at work and be willing to be vulnerable with the attendees.  Then you will know who you can turn to and trust when you are tested.

As your faith is being tested, get a team:

In March of 2018 my 10 year-old grandson was admitted to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing.  The diagnosis was asthma and atypical pneumonia.  After he was released and spent a week at home, he, his sister, and a cousin came to stay with my husband and I, over 500 miles away.  He did well - swimming in the pool, going to the zoo, and other area attractions, as long as he didn’t overdo it and had his inhaler handy.  Upon returning home to his parents and to school he began having even more trouble breathing than before.  Back to the hospital where a CT scan showed a 90% blockage in his trachea that wasn’t readily visible in the X-rays taken during his first stay.  He was air-lifted to a premier children’s hospital where the surgical team was assembled and a strategy for removing this growth without collapsing his lungs, suffocating him, or leaving  some of it behind was developed.  This season was probably the most I’ve had my faith tested in a long time.  “Faith over fear” became my unspoken mantra as I prayed for his healing.  During this time I felt the prayers of my team of friends, family, and church washing over my sweet grandson, his parents, and me.  A prayer warrior I’ve never met had a vision of Saint Raphael, the Catholic Saint of Healing, standing over my grandson…as a Methodist, the Saints are rather unknown to me, but the peace of mind this gave me is undeniable.  The surgery was successful and that child of God is able to run and play with his cousins and friends, not worrying about having asthma!  This team of prayer warriors helped strengthen my trust in God as the surgical team strengthened my trust in medicine.  Our struggles don’t have to be wrestled with in a vacuum.  Get a team!

As your faith is being tested, tell God how you feel:

Your prayers don’t have to be just about solving the struggle.  When I was a teenager I thought little of telling my parents when I didn’t agree with a decision or family rule or being grounded for ignoring said rule.  Yet, I have to remind myself that I can go to my Heavenly Father with my hurts, my frustrations, my anger at what I’m facing.  We serve a loving God who wants to have a relationship with us and open communication is key.  Yes, God is all-knowing and doesn’t need me to tell Him what’s going on in my heart and mind…But just like I know the answer my kids will give me when I ask how his or her day went, I still like to have the interaction.  Getting what I’m feeling out in the open helps me process, it sparks clarity, it helps me understand better why I’m in this situation.

After the testing, praise God:

I am currently reading “It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way” by Lysa TerKeurst.  Here is a link.  If you’ve read Lysa’s earlier books you know that she is very vocal about the struggles she has had during her life.  In 2008 Lysa revealed that she’d had an abortion 16 years earlier.  The faith needed for someone who is so visible as a woman of God to step out and own this action and the subsequent pain is unfathomable to me.  In “It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way” she discusses going through betrayal and two life-threatening health issues, yet she comes out praising God and the blessings she has received from these valleys…or in this life “between two gardens” as she likes to put it.  She praises God for the pain that kept her hospitalized until the doctors could find out what was wrong,  thus, saving her life.  She praises Him for the time she needed to sit and just be, and heal. 

My cousin, Brooke, praises God for each day, each moment, that she receives to spend with her children and extended family.  Would she have chosen this path?  Definitely not!  Is she modeling what a solid faith looks like even during extreme adversity?  Most definitely!

What the evil one intends to harm, to shame, to lessen our focus on our loving, faithful Heavenly Father, our God uses for good (Romand 8:28).  Lysa’s and Brooke’s stories encourage thousands of women.  The biblical accounts of Joseph (Genesis 37-50) and Ruth (the book of Ruth) encourage both men and women to place their faith in God,  knowing that He has plans for each of us, to prosper us, and give us a life worth living (Jeremiah 29:11).  In the second half of John 10:10 Jesus states, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”  Praise God, for He is faithful, He loves us, He promises to never forsake us!  Praise Him for loving us enough to see us through the valleys of our lives, to allow us to be challenged in a way that makes us stronger.  We live in a fallen world; let’s be thankful that God is with us each step of the way!

Running a half-marathon

Early in 2018 I knew I needed to improve my health:  my knees and back hurt whenever I attempted any physical activity.  The idea of walking a mile seemed like such a big ask of my 59 year old body.  And forget shopping, buying groceries was such a chore…I had to lie down when I arrived home!  In the past I have experienced periods when I walked regularly to sooth my nerves, justify the food I ate, and generally try to stay in shape.  However, the last half of 2017 was not one of these times.  I gained weight and sat on the couch too much, giving into the belief that I was getting old.  In Oct. 2017 I “retired” from my part-time role as Financial Administrator for my church as I felt God calling me to take a more active role in women’s ministry. I knew if I was going to be able to accomplish what God had for me I had to get healthy.

I started out slow, walking 1.5 miles the first time out in January, then alternating with a two-mile walk, gradually adding in short (very short) spurts of jogging.  It was a painful, humbling process!  The jogging helped me finish longer walks more quickly and I begin to enjoy it…which I never thought I would do.  Then, in March, my friend, Kami, shared an event on FaceBook that  intrigued me.  It was for a half-marathon (13.1 miles) to be held at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Veterans Day, November 11, 2018.  I felt drawn to this I think in part because I worked for a NASA subcontractor in the mid-80’s and had been able to visit the hallowed places of the installation only once.  The course for this race would take me past so many of the historical sights and end at the light house.  But running a half-marathon in just eight months seemed impossible, and I’d be 60 by then!  I wished that the race was a 10k (6.1 miles) rather than a half-marathon.  My one and only other organized race was The Cooper River Bridge Run, a 10k held annually in Charleston, SC.  I was 40 at the time.

Then there’s the other part of the draw: As I pondered whether or not to register, I felt this was something God was challenging me to do!  I really couldn’t get it out of my heart and mind that I should participate in this race, even though there was no physical reason to believe it would end well for me.  When I mentioned it to my otherwise supportive husband, Larry, he was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to finish such a long race in the allotted 3.5 hours given and about the toll training for it would take on my body (he may have used the adjective “old”).  So, I prayed, asking God to take away the desire to participate in this race.  But, He didn’t, He strengthened my desire to do this!  (Isn’t it just like God to make us want to do something as crazy as punishing your body to go this distance!)

A lesser part of the draw to run is that the proceeds from the race benefited the Cape Canaveral Light House Foundation.  I’ve always been awed by the majesty and strength that even small lighthouses seem to possess.  I love their histories, photographing them, and climbing them.

As I trained, I struggled with shin splints, disk problems in my lower back, shooting pain in my left foot, and frequent migraines that invaded my head in the early morning making it hard to get out and run when the sun rose.  I live in central Florida therefore, running just as the sun rises is the best way to avoid heat exhaustion.  On May 4th I woke up to excruciating pain in my sacral area where I’d torn a disk in early 2017.  By noon I couldn’t put any weight on my legs.  I spent the better part of the next two weeks taking muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories, and walking gingerly for short periods of time around the house.  I went to physical therapy where I worked to strengthen my hips, back, and abs.  As my strength returned I began walking  outside, eventually jogging some and extending my distance.   The strengthening from the PT also helped stabilize my knees and ankles freeing me from some of the pain!

I mentioned my desire to run this race to my neighbor, Kristen, who has run half-marathons and she was excited and agreed to do it with me.  I’m sure that God had this in mind the whole time as she couldn’t have been more supportive and encouraging!  She even brought out some of her race medals to show me…yes, bling still has the power to get my attention.

In early July I joined Weight Watchers (WW) to help me find the encouragement and accountability I needed to lose some of the extra pounds I’d been carrying.  I knew the extra weight was holding me back and increasing the impact the running was having on my joints.      

In late-July, in a conversation with my uncle, Russ Arnold, I told him about how I felt God was challenging me to participate in the race.  Being not much older, but a whole lot wiser, he asserted that maybe God was preparing me for an even bigger challenge in the future.  (Right this minute I think it’s committing this story to paper.)  So, I persevered, working to get my time down and increase my distance so that I could finish in the 3.5 hour window.  With the help of compression socks and ice packs my shin splints became less of an issue.

The next hurdle I had to jump was of my own making.  The organizers of the “Space Race on a Space Base” announced that they were adding a 10K option to the event.  Ugh!  I had already signed up and paid to run the half but could switch to the shorter race if I wanted.  So, I let doubt in my ability to finish the 13.1 miles creep in.  At this point my longest run was in the 4-mile range.  Again, Kristen encouraged me, assuring me I could do this.  I recommitted to the half, knowing that the Holy Spirit inside of me was tugging me to do so.

Two weeks before the race my supportive husband talked to a mutual friend, Jamie, who has participated in a lot of races.  Jamie told him that if I wasn’t already up to the mileage, I wouldn’t be able to finish well.  Oh, what bravery it took for Larry to tell me that, at the dinner table where knives were present.  But I was not going to be dissuaded.  I reminded my husband that my philosophy was to train to half the distance and let my adrenaline handle the rest (knowing full well that this logic is probably fine for a 5 or 10k, but loses feasibility on a long race).  I upped the fervency of my prayers, asking God to give me what I needed to complete the training strong, to heal the painful joints, and confidence that I am following His will.  (I may have reminded Him that it was His idea in the first place and that He is a merciful and gracious God…repeatedly.)

Sunday before the race I ran 6 miles at a pace that would put me across the finish line within the 3.5 hour limit.  Monday I ran 7 more with better time than I’d had throughout my training.  I set my goal to finish the race in 3 hours, not a pokey 3.5.

On race day Larry, two of our grandchildren who have competed in school track, and my neighbor drove to the CCAFS.  I lined up with the pacer for a 3:00 finish time and stuck with her for most of the course.  Kristen and Jamie started well ahead of me. Whenever I felt pain or exhaustion setting in I prayed to God, reminding Him of Who He is and asking for His mercy.  My prayers were met with new strength and painlessness.  I stopped a couple of times to take some pictures of the sights and still managed to finish in 3 hours and 4 minutes!  I was exhausted and quite dehydrated when I crossed the finish line but having my family and friends there to cheer me in was awesome!  I could hardly walk from the lack of water in my body, but this quickly abated when I rehydrated.  I was so elated to finish my first half-marathon well!  The high stayed with me all that Sunday and into Monday.

Over the years the Holy Bible has been a trusted source of solace for me, especially during times when I’ve struggled with the direction my life has taken.  In this anthology of the Triune God I find history, poetry, guidance, and most of all, love.  In Acts 2:42 Luke writes “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.”  The early Christians didn’t have the advantage of a printed Bible to sit and read as we do.  They were living in the midst of the movement; many had been taught the Old Testament stories since infancy, the Gospels weren’t yet written, and Paul’s letters are believed to have been circulated among the groups of believers.

In modern times we have both printed copies of the Bible in a wide range of translations and study formats and electronic versions that enable us to have our Bibles with us constantly.  Some of the electronic versions (or e-Books) also allow us to search the scriptures based on a word or phrase.  My favorite e-Book version is the You Version Bible app, a ministry of Life.Church founded by Craig Groeschel. The app is free and includes a number of translations, some of which are available to be downloaded for use offline.  Some versions are available in audio form.

As handy as these resources are, how can I ensure that my time spent reading and studying the Bible is productive?  I have found that if I simply read the Bible as if it were a biography or a historical novel I don’t absorb the true, deeper content of the message.  If I read the Psalms as simple poetry, it doesn’t stir my emotions as one would hope. But…if I ask myself “What does this passage tell me about Who God is?” I find that I am learning more about the true nature of the Creator of the Universe.  I learn about His faithfulness, His love for me, His power and grace.  Then I take this knowledge one step further and ask “Who am I in light of Who God is?”.  I am loved, He has plans for me, He has called my name and I am His, I am His hands and feet in this life.  Then I ask “How do I apply this knowledge of Who God is and who I am in Him to my daily life.”  Now I am truly “studying” the Bible, absorbing the rich history and character of the Triune God and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform my heart into the person God created me to be, preparing me to be His hands and feet in this life.

Romans 12:2 states “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  Studying His Word changes the way we think about God, life, ourselves and our physical world and helps us understand His will for us.

An internet search for “ways to study the Bible” reveals many different approaches.  The important concept here is that our approach shouldn’t be a casual reading style, but actively seeking the message contained in the passage and applying it to how we live our lives.  We can only do this by knowing what the true nature of God is. If I make a list from A-Z of the characteristics of God my mind is opened to the One, the Only Living God and I see a God who loves me enough to send His Son to save me from this sinful world.

I’d like to introduce you to my 12 year-old cats, Sampson and Delilah.  Sam is the one closer to the camera.  They do not have claws which poses a problem if they sneak out and open door so we have to always be on guard that they don’t escape.  Since they both have a lot of long hair there is always hair on my clothes and in need of vacuuming up...and then there’s the litter box that they prefer to use right after I clean it.  I have to keep a plastic cover on my bed to ensure they don’t puke up hairballs on it...such a pain these two!

Rewind:  I’d like to introduce you to my beautiful Ragdoll cats, Sampson and Delilah, who were adopted from the Humane Society 11 years ago.  Both had had their claws removed (good for my furniture and hands) and were neutered/spayed when they came to live with us.  Sam is quite friendly and loves to sit on my lap while I watch tv and be petted by anyone who enters our home.  Delilah likes to join me in the bathroom where she head-butts me until I scratch her back and behind her ears.  Both love to spend their days out on our patio chasing the lizards and keeping birds from getting too close. When I’m sick in bed they will both pile up in the bed with me and keep me company...such a blessing these two!

In each description above, I’m describing the same two cats, but each description is from a different perspective; the former focusing on the negative aspects of owning these two cats, the latter focusing on the positive aspects of having these two members of our family.  We often fall into the trap of a negative perspective about things; our jobs, our spouses, our kids, where we live or what we drive, even our perception of ourselves.  It’s often hard to keep a positive perspective about a our spouse or a dead-end job. And you only have to turn on the  TV to find out that your car, your clothes, and your home are out of style and in need of replacement.

But when we are intentional about being thankful for what we have we become more positive in our perspective.  After reading Ann Voscamp’s one thousand gifts and keeping a gratitude journal I’ve seen my perspective change so that my first reaction to a slight isn’t one of anger or frustration but more of love and grace.  If I focus on how hard my husband works to provide for our family, then I don’t resent it when he comes home tired and retreats to his “man cave” until dinner or is grumpy from the heavy traffic that comprises his daily commute.  I’m not advocating that anyone put up with an ongoing negative  situation...communication is key to resolving these issues.  Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT) states “And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you’.  Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”  Verses 31-32 state “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

I live in a nice home with a pool located on a small lake in a paradise like setting.  Do I wish my lot/pool/living room was bigger...yes.  Do I wish it cleaned itself...yes.  But, I don’t focus on these things, rather I choose to focus on the beauty of the green space at the back of my lot, the birds and critters that frequent the lakeshore, my wonderful neighbors and the fact that I never need own a snow suit.

I am far from the vision of perfection that my sweet hubby had when we were first married.  My prayer is that my gratitude for all he does for our family is a  model for him and for our family that helps us all appreciate and be gracious to each other.  When I am unduly stressed or anxious about something I pray  for guidance, for peace, for strength to handle it with love and grace.

Structure of prayer

The last few years my prayer life has expanded and contracted, become more refined and then, sometimes I don’t know where to start or what to say next.  There are a lot of structures that prayer can take on (like, ACTS: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) but prayers don’t really don’t need a lot of structure.  When we pray we are in communication with God, our Heavenly Father, not a Supreme Court Justice or a Political Science Professor.  These structures remind us that yes, we should tell God how wonderful His creation is, that we love Him, and give Him glory.  Yes, we should confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.  Yes, we need to let God know how thankful we are for all the wonderful things He has given us and the things that have challenged us beyond what we thought we could stand.  And, yes, we should intercede for others, requesting through prayer that God heal them, comfort them, or prepare them for what’s next.  

But, often for me these things happen more organically.  If I’m feeling particularly thankful for something that might be the first thing I pray about; if I’m feeling guilty about judging someone I probably need to lead off with confession; if my child is hurting I may skip right to supplication.  Think of it this way, if your neighbor’s house is on fire, you aren’t likely to ring the doorbell and compliment her on the geraniums growing in the front flowerbed prior to telling her to grab the dog and run. It’s easy to get hung up in the formality of prayer and lose the focus of what we’ve come to God for.

When we are in ongoing prayer with God, structure isn’t as important as the content of the prayer…and content isn’t as critical as the actual relationship we are forming as we spend time in God’s presence, as we worship, thank, confess, and intercede for others.  Thessalonians 5:17  (KJV) states “Pray without ceasing.”   When we always have a pray on our hearts we are building a wonderful relationship with the One who knows what we need before we ask.

Logan, one of our former youth ministers at church, addresses God as “Daddy” in prayer!  How awesome is that?  I loved to hear him pray as he sounded so comfortable talking to the Creator, so deep is his relationship with God that I could feel the love and familiarity in his voice.  I can almost see God standing there in front of Logan, smiling and nodding His head, then pulling out the car keys and his wallet.  Let’s be that familiar with our loving Heavenly Father…let’s call Him Abba, Father, Daddy.

Glorifying God through prayer

The book of Psalms is a collection of songs & poems written by David, Asaph, Soloman, Moses, and others.  Many are songs of praise to God, often acknowledging God’s presence, provision, and protection in their lives.  They are very helpful when I’m not sure how or what to pray.  Psalm 94:18-19 (NLT) states “I cried out, ‘I am slipping!’ but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.  When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”  This can be the model for praise:  “when I was in desperate need you saved me with your unfailing love, you comforted me and renewed my spirit.”  Or a prayer of supplication: “Lord, I feel myself slipping, give me strength through Your support that I will be steadfast.  Renew my hope, bless me with a cheerful heart.”

Psalm 96 (NLT) begins “Sing a new song to the Lord!  Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!  Sing to the Lord; praise His name.  Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.”  Now, my singing voice is not good, it’s actually pretty bad, but I can still use it to pray this passage.  “Lord, my I sing praises to you.  May the whole earth sing your praises and proclaim the good news that You save!” When I read the Psalms and use them in prayer I note in the margin the passage that I’ve used so that I can refer back to the original passage if I feel led to do so.

Bathing my world in prayer

I love the feeling of comfort and peace I feel when my whole world is bathed in prayer!  I feel it a privilege to pray for my family, friends, community, my church; but sometimes it gets a little overwhelming when I consider all the needs and try to balance prayer time with work, family, friends, exercise, and time for worship, and personal renewal.  

One approach I have used has been to list each family member and close friends and the people that are important to them, then specifically pray for one person each day; many times I pray for them on their birthday, but if they are going through a particularly bad time I will pray for them more frequently.  As I write out my prayer I visualize the person I am praying for.  My list when fully written contains up to 90 people.  Talk about overwhelming!  I would love to pray for each one everyday, but I know God knows my heart and that a prayer for one is often a prayer for all.  And, I often remind myself that God knows what they need even before they, or I, do.

Another approach that I am currently exploring is to pray for specific areas on specific days of the week: Sunday - Church, it’s ministries, congregation, giving & stewardship Monday - Immediate family (spouse, parents, kids, grandkids, grandparents) Tuesday - Church prayer requests, prayer list, the church’s tenants Wednesday - Extended family (siblings, their families, cousins, aunts & uncles, etc) Thursday - Friends, neighbors, and people that are hard to love or I just can’t seem to like Friday - Community, national, international leaders and concerns (Persecution, human trafficking, hunger, natural disasters, economies, etc.) Saturday - personal faith, health, resist temptation, confession, discernment of God’s will

Regardless of the approach, these prayers are incorporated into my scheduled prayer time each morning and are usually written out long-hand in my prayer journal; they are not intended to exclude urgent prayer requests or the other components of prayer.  Each is a way to help ensure that my world- those I love and those I should love, are covered in prayer.