You don't have to raise your hand or anything, but let me ask how many of you spend a fair amount of time wishin'. Sometimes it's a passing thought, such as, "I wish it weren't raining." Or it might be something with a bit more substance, "I wish I lived somewhere else." It could even be as extreme as, "I wish I were married to someone else."
I have no doubt that there are whole flocks of people who spend hours imagining what would happen if they were chosen to be on one of the reality TV shows. From the makeover segments on various talk shows to programming based on the concept, like What Not to Wear, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Survivor, The Amazing Race, even The Biggest Loser viewers are drawn into the world of wishin'. After all, wouldn't it be nice if some outside entity would come in and improve our looks or fix up our home or provide a vacation, an exciting challenge, a financial windfall? What would be the harm in that?
For that matter, what's wrong with thinking about how someone else's life might be improved in similar ways? Certainly we have other people's good in mind when we conclude, "I wish he would pay attention to his manly duties." Or "I wish she would take better care of that responsibility". Or "I wish they would just listen to my advice."
On a superficial level I suppose a bit of wishin' is fine. It may be what leads people to make positive changes in their lives. Perhaps the person who keeps saying to themselves, "I wish I wasn't always rushing to get out the door." will decide to set their alarm clock earlier and enjoy a more peaceful start to their day. I know I've been there myself many times. On a deeper level though I wonder what happens when/if a habit of wishin' develops.
I started to ponder this topic when my mind latched onto a brief portion of "The Five Silent Years of Corrie ten Boom" by Pamela Rosewell. On page 47 of our 1986 paperback edition, the author quotes a letter Corrie received.
"A missionary friend had brought you [Corrie] by car and you had been having a very heavy program through the previous weeks. So you looked around your room and made some remark about how peaceful it was. Then you looked at the friend who had brought you and you said 'I wish ...' But you did not finish the sentence. Instead you looked up and said, 'Father, You do all things well. Thank you.'"
I was trying to get through the book at the time and it was a few weeks before I had time to go back and locate the passage. It had continued to niggle at the edge of my mind and heart. What was it about wishin' that had caused Corrie ten Boom to stop and pray? It seemed so innocuous. My meditation has been developing into a deep glimpse into my heart.
God is sovereign. As Creator and Sustainer, He is the ultimate authority and ruling power of the world. He oversees every detail, no-thing escapes His notice, that His will might be accomplished and His glory made known. The Word also teaches that God is at work in the lives of His own as He prepares them to spend eternity in His presence. Romans 8:28-30 is only one place where this refining activity is outlined. These truths lead us to the only reasonable conclusion. Since God knows and orchestrates every detail of our lives (the good, the bad AND the ugly) for our sanctification, the circumstances around us MUST be what He has arranged for that purpose.
Okay then, that must mean that the rainy day, the place I live, the person to whom I am married, are all part of God's perfect plan to transform me into the image of His Son. 2 Corinthians 3:18 It may not be easy to come to grips with that truth when the picnic is ruined or the house needs repairs or my husband and I are arguing. Circumstances of any kind do not change Truth. It is unalterable. It is what Francis Schaeffer called True Truth.
Since the circumstances in my own life are set and overseen by God for my best and His glory because I am His, bought with a price, that must also be True for all those whom He has chosen. The situations surrounding my Brothers and Sisters are also being coordinated by God for their sanctification. Our Father is using the details of their lives to cause the man to truly undertake his manly duties, the woman to meet her responsibilities, and all of them to seek His will. Real change happens in the heart and God is the One who affects those changes. Acts 16:14
By God's grace, the rest I have been enjoying as I settle into a richer understanding of His sovereignty in my own life has been spreading into my thoughts about the lives others. I find myself praying with an honestly thankful heart as I consider circumstances and situations in the lives of those I love. The mindset and heart condition of Eli in 1 Samuel 3:18 is a model to emulate. Upon learning that God was about to carry out His promised retribution for the sin in his family for which no sacrifice or offering could atone, Eli said, "He is the Lord; let Him do what is good in His eyes."
Scripture tells us that surrender is part of godly worship. Matthew 4:10 directs all believers to "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." I want to be fully yielded to my loving Father. I want my wishin' to be transformed by my hopin'. I want to be lost in the wonder of who God is and all that He has prepared for me both now and in the future. Psalm 42:5; 62:5; 147:11, Isaiah 40:31, Romans 5:4; 12:12, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 6:19,20, 1 John 3:1-3 Hallelujah! Christ, in me, is the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27
How my life is changing:
I find myself checking out the wishin' I do.
Am I subtly whining about God's provisions in His love-inspired shepherding?
I find myself identifying with Paul in wrestling my body into submission. 1 Corinthians 9:27
I find myself coming more quickly and fully into my Daddy's presence, asking Him to make His will my own.
Am I willing to worship God no matter the setting?
I find myself turning my wishin' for other folks into prayers of thanksgiving for God's divine work in their lives.
Do I really know that much that I even have an inkling of what needs to happen?
I find myself enjoying more freedom and a richer prayer life. Praise God!
May these thoughts on Wishin' encourage you to set your heart more fully on A-hopin' for "the glory that will be revealed in us". Romans 8:18
Amen and Emmanuel
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Woe! and Hallelujah!
The Lord has been encouraging me to contemplate the connection between these two positions for more than a week. I had three other possible topics for this post, but my Honey suggested I pursue this one so here we are.
To be fair, Curt made the remark after I shared a succinct statement so it could be that he was just trying to influence the length since he feels my glimpse reports are (shall we say) a bit wordy. I responded right away that a blog post would require further explanation, but I'm going to follow Curt's lead and see how I do.
An unfolding glimpse:
God knew me and my sin-filled heart (Woe!) before the foundation of the world, and He
still chose to write my name in the book of life,
still sent Jesus His sin-free Son to pay the blood ransom for my soul,
still granted me faith by His grace that I would understand the enormity of His love and provision, and
still undertook to sanctify me for the eternal home He has prepared for me in His Holy presence. Hallelujah!
a partial list of related verses:
Ephesians 1:4-8
Revelation 21:27
Ephesians 2:4,5
Romans 3:21,26; 8:29,30
To be fair, Curt made the remark after I shared a succinct statement so it could be that he was just trying to influence the length since he feels my glimpse reports are (shall we say) a bit wordy. I responded right away that a blog post would require further explanation, but I'm going to follow Curt's lead and see how I do.
An unfolding glimpse:
God knew me and my sin-filled heart (Woe!) before the foundation of the world, and He
still chose to write my name in the book of life,
still sent Jesus His sin-free Son to pay the blood ransom for my soul,
still granted me faith by His grace that I would understand the enormity of His love and provision, and
still undertook to sanctify me for the eternal home He has prepared for me in His Holy presence. Hallelujah!
a partial list of related verses:
Ephesians 1:4-8
Revelation 21:27
Ephesians 2:4,5
Romans 3:21,26; 8:29,30
Monday, February 1, 2010
Soldiers and Sheep
In early December we enjoyed a few wonderful days with our precious grandchildren. We built and demolished a gingerbread house, shopped for "Mom and Dad", went to the Christmas tea party at our local library, and put out our nativity decorations. It was a treat to talk about the incarnation as we set up the manger scene, and to share the continuity of our marriage as we hung a special set of lights for the 41st time. God is gracious!
We're beginning to notice that as the children mature it gets harder to take them home. It's easy to settle back into the slower, quieter tone in our own home, but they bring so much to us. William and James keep Doc busy, and Caroline keeps Marmee entertained. God knows we miss them and is so sweet to tend our hearts. This morning we chuckled when we discovered a heavenly reminder of our time together.
We’re sure it wasn't a sacrilegious statement, but there was an addition to the manger scene - a little green sniper hidden behind a lamb. He was obviously preparing to take out an enemy grenade thrower on the neighboring chair. The army guys brought back the dialogue, sound effects, and giggles of our grandsons' playtime. We thanked God for their visit and the reminder, but evidently we needed more.
The next day I discovered two more soldiers safely camouflaged behind the guest towel in the bathroom. Once again smiles broke out on our faces. We weren’t sure what their mission was, but we granted these faithful military men leave with their buddies. We figured they'd earned it.
We cherish the tender blessings our heavenly Father sends our way. We aren't sure when we'll be granted a glimpse of His mercies so we do our best to keep our eyes open and focused godward. May the Father bless you with glorious glimpses of your own. Amen
We're beginning to notice that as the children mature it gets harder to take them home. It's easy to settle back into the slower, quieter tone in our own home, but they bring so much to us. William and James keep Doc busy, and Caroline keeps Marmee entertained. God knows we miss them and is so sweet to tend our hearts. This morning we chuckled when we discovered a heavenly reminder of our time together.
We’re sure it wasn't a sacrilegious statement, but there was an addition to the manger scene - a little green sniper hidden behind a lamb. He was obviously preparing to take out an enemy grenade thrower on the neighboring chair. The army guys brought back the dialogue, sound effects, and giggles of our grandsons' playtime. We thanked God for their visit and the reminder, but evidently we needed more.
The next day I discovered two more soldiers safely camouflaged behind the guest towel in the bathroom. Once again smiles broke out on our faces. We weren’t sure what their mission was, but we granted these faithful military men leave with their buddies. We figured they'd earned it.
We cherish the tender blessings our heavenly Father sends our way. We aren't sure when we'll be granted a glimpse of His mercies so we do our best to keep our eyes open and focused godward. May the Father bless you with glorious glimpses of your own. Amen
Monday, January 11, 2010
Computers and Ladders
"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself." 1 Corinthians 3:1,2
The Lord brought this passage to my attention recently. It's not that I haven't read it before. My eyes have passed over and my brain has decoded the words on many occasions. Their impact, however, escaped me until this reading. I've been chewing on them ever since. It would take the Lord to use the debacle with my computer to shed light on their meaning.
Computers are wonderful machines. Their uses and benefits would be too extensive to list here. BUT when they won't perform properly or stop functioning all together, it can turn life upside down. Take for example the pharmacy whose computers went off-line in mid-December. For nearly an hour, the staff could only process purchases for customers who had enough cash to cover their total. Frustration reigned on both sides of the counter. A similar situation occurred in my house which lasted much longer.
My former computer, whose manufacturer shall remain nameless but falls under the category of PC, stopped connecting to the internet in October. It was easy enough to commandeer Curt's computer from time to time for email, but I wasn't able to spend any significant time online. That meant that I was prevented from affecting the monthly updates to the Lifework Forum website. It was difficult to be kept from this regular responsibility so I set about figuring out a way around the impasse.
No, the manufacturer would not/could not offer an easy solution. The computer would have to be sent back to them for an unknown cost and with no guarantee that my files would be safe.
No, the local repairmen couldn't offer anything better.
No, I couldn't access the necessary software from any other computer.
Okay, so the answer would have to be something dramatic. We came to the decision that we were being providentially directed to purchase a new computer. Hallelujah, my two year dream was about to come true.
No, that did not solve the problem.
No, the software that drove the website was not compatible with the new computer.
No, the publisher was not willing/not able to trade the PC version for a Mac version because the software had been updated.
Ah, ha, the old computer mysteriously connected to the internet. I scurried around to revise the necessary pages thinking I could update the website at least once more in the old way and would buy some time as I looked for a long-term resolution.
No, when I was ready to publish the revisions the computer would no longer connect to the internet. I was tired of seeing that little red X.
No, we still didn't have the money or desire to purchase more expensive, complicated software.
To say that I was frustrated would be an understatement. I felt I'd been diligent in trying to sort out the problem. It had been a matter of prayer and effort for quite a while. I just wanted it to be over so that I could carry on with my life. Then came the day when I started to make progress. The Lord made it plain that it was time to let the old computer, software, procedures, expectations, etc. go. The energy I was spending in that direction needed to be released to move in the direction He was laying out for His purposes. That little glimpse began to blossom.
Yes, the "old" is gone.
Yes, God is still in this thing with me and there is a solution.
Yes, I have a new, fancy computer and lots to learn.
Yes, there's a whole cast of characters at the Apple store who can help me - for FREE.
Yes, there's a glimmer of hope for this old lady to become conversant in yet another program.
Yes, I began to make valuable strides.
Yes, hallelujah, the Lifework Forum website is once again up and running. (http://www.LifeworkForum.org)
As I sat back and reveled in the relief of meeting my goal, various thoughts began to connect. It was when I laid my dilapidated PC to rest and turned my attention toward moving forward that I made progress. 1 Corinthians 3 came back into my mind. Perhaps part of the process Paul was outlining, "I do not even judge myself, has to do with dwelling on my sin. Scripture is clear about the need to confess and repent so he can't be espousing the idea that God's people are to avoid any kind of self-evaluation before the heavenly throne. Rather, I suspect we are to make our relationships right with God and then move on in His mercy and grace. Otherwise we can become trapped and/or paralyzed.
That's when I pictured myself in the middle of a very long ladder as when I was cleaning out the gutters last fall. At one point I stopped climbing and I felt how wobbly the ladder was. I looked down and saw how high I was and how hard that asphalt was below me. I considered how easy it would be to fall and began to imagine how painful the broken bones would be. I've been in many places and situations that produced the same results.
Of course, practical wisdom says that when climbing a ladder one needs to keep their eyes directed toward the top, focused on the sought-for goal. Once again Paul comes to mind. Divine wisdom applies that same concept to the process of sanctification.
"Brothers, I do to consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13,14
Thank you, Father, for your Word and the ministrations of your Holy Spirit. Amen
The Lord brought this passage to my attention recently. It's not that I haven't read it before. My eyes have passed over and my brain has decoded the words on many occasions. Their impact, however, escaped me until this reading. I've been chewing on them ever since. It would take the Lord to use the debacle with my computer to shed light on their meaning.
Computers are wonderful machines. Their uses and benefits would be too extensive to list here. BUT when they won't perform properly or stop functioning all together, it can turn life upside down. Take for example the pharmacy whose computers went off-line in mid-December. For nearly an hour, the staff could only process purchases for customers who had enough cash to cover their total. Frustration reigned on both sides of the counter. A similar situation occurred in my house which lasted much longer.
My former computer, whose manufacturer shall remain nameless but falls under the category of PC, stopped connecting to the internet in October. It was easy enough to commandeer Curt's computer from time to time for email, but I wasn't able to spend any significant time online. That meant that I was prevented from affecting the monthly updates to the Lifework Forum website. It was difficult to be kept from this regular responsibility so I set about figuring out a way around the impasse.
No, the manufacturer would not/could not offer an easy solution. The computer would have to be sent back to them for an unknown cost and with no guarantee that my files would be safe.
No, the local repairmen couldn't offer anything better.
No, I couldn't access the necessary software from any other computer.
Okay, so the answer would have to be something dramatic. We came to the decision that we were being providentially directed to purchase a new computer. Hallelujah, my two year dream was about to come true.
No, that did not solve the problem.
No, the software that drove the website was not compatible with the new computer.
No, the publisher was not willing/not able to trade the PC version for a Mac version because the software had been updated.
Ah, ha, the old computer mysteriously connected to the internet. I scurried around to revise the necessary pages thinking I could update the website at least once more in the old way and would buy some time as I looked for a long-term resolution.
No, when I was ready to publish the revisions the computer would no longer connect to the internet. I was tired of seeing that little red X.
No, we still didn't have the money or desire to purchase more expensive, complicated software.
To say that I was frustrated would be an understatement. I felt I'd been diligent in trying to sort out the problem. It had been a matter of prayer and effort for quite a while. I just wanted it to be over so that I could carry on with my life. Then came the day when I started to make progress. The Lord made it plain that it was time to let the old computer, software, procedures, expectations, etc. go. The energy I was spending in that direction needed to be released to move in the direction He was laying out for His purposes. That little glimpse began to blossom.
Yes, the "old" is gone.
Yes, God is still in this thing with me and there is a solution.
Yes, I have a new, fancy computer and lots to learn.
Yes, there's a whole cast of characters at the Apple store who can help me - for FREE.
Yes, there's a glimmer of hope for this old lady to become conversant in yet another program.
Yes, I began to make valuable strides.
Yes, hallelujah, the Lifework Forum website is once again up and running. (http://www.LifeworkForum.org)
As I sat back and reveled in the relief of meeting my goal, various thoughts began to connect. It was when I laid my dilapidated PC to rest and turned my attention toward moving forward that I made progress. 1 Corinthians 3 came back into my mind. Perhaps part of the process Paul was outlining, "I do not even judge myself, has to do with dwelling on my sin. Scripture is clear about the need to confess and repent so he can't be espousing the idea that God's people are to avoid any kind of self-evaluation before the heavenly throne. Rather, I suspect we are to make our relationships right with God and then move on in His mercy and grace. Otherwise we can become trapped and/or paralyzed.
That's when I pictured myself in the middle of a very long ladder as when I was cleaning out the gutters last fall. At one point I stopped climbing and I felt how wobbly the ladder was. I looked down and saw how high I was and how hard that asphalt was below me. I considered how easy it would be to fall and began to imagine how painful the broken bones would be. I've been in many places and situations that produced the same results.
Of course, practical wisdom says that when climbing a ladder one needs to keep their eyes directed toward the top, focused on the sought-for goal. Once again Paul comes to mind. Divine wisdom applies that same concept to the process of sanctification.
"Brothers, I do to consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13,14
Thank you, Father, for your Word and the ministrations of your Holy Spirit. Amen
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