Monday, September 14, 2009

Out of My Hands

There is a parable of a rich young man who comes to Jesus asking what he must do to get eternal life.

Jesus' answer was simple and to the point. "Obey my commandments".

I snicker at this mans response..."Well which ones?"

My response to the rich young man would probably have been a little more sarcastic than Jesus' response.... I would've said something like..."Try ALL OF THEM, Buddy!"

But Jesus was calm, cool and collected and listed them out for Him. Of course, the rich young man said that He already upholds all those commandments so, why does he still lack?

Jesus then goes on to explain that if he wants to be perfect he should go and sell all his possessions and give them to the poor and then he should go and follow him. When the young man heard this he lowered his head and walked away. His valuables were too "valuable" to him.

His disciples were astonished at this and then kept asking him "Well then who can be saved? And what will we be left with?"

And Jesus in his infinite wisdom says the most beautiful words I have ever heard...

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible!"

Beautiful words that I needed to hear at just the right time...at just the right moment.

Lately I have been lacking. Worried and consumed with thoughts that I am not where I should be in my walk with my Savior. I have been trying to do it on my own and not letting God lead. Trying in my own strength and not giving it over to Him and allowing Him to strengthen me. He lead me to this passage and it was here that I realized that no matter how much I try I will never be worthy of all that he offers me. Much like this young man- nothing I ever do will be enough. Nothing I can ever do or be can change what He wants for me. He has already done it all.

And now when I am still I hear Him whisper so quietly to my soul...

"Take it out of your hands and place it into mine....."

And I say "Thank you, Jesus!"



Monday, September 7, 2009

Seasons

There is a crispness in the air lately.

And it stirs me.

The end of one season and the beginning of another. A dry, hot season being replaced by the cool night air -natures refreshment.

I have been dry lately. Too many things happening -too many questions that I can't find the answers to. Too much of me and not enough focusing on Him. I find it hard sometimes to find the good in all the bad going on around me.

In the last month I have watched people around me go through seasons of change in their life. A co-worker who fought liver cancer with all he had for the last year was cleared of all active cancer cells in his liver only to have the rest of his body shut down and Him to be taken home last week.

A dear woman who was my husbands neighbor when he was growing up has been diagnosed with leukemia and told that she has maybe two months to live. This is two years after she had lost the oldest of her three daughters two years ago to breast cancer. This woman one of the most courageous people I have known and she is never without a smile on her face or a nice word to say to those around her.

Seasons.

Not only in nature but in life.

Physical life. Spiritual life.

Even in the sadness, I catch His refreshment.

We spent Sunday afternoon with the beautiful woman I mentioned above and her family. It may perhaps be the last picnic she will be able to spend with her family and friends. There were no tears- just happy recollections of memories passed. She was always a woman with many talents. She loved to paint, as did her daughter that passed away. She has not picked up a paintbrush since she lost that daughter and a project that they were working on together remains unfinished. She tells me that the spark is gone since her loss. She looks at me and simply says..."When I get to Heaven we will paint together again." To see someone who has known great loss and is in the midst of pain and sickness- she still looks forward to what is to come. To be reunited with those who have gone before her and wait patiently to help guide her into her eternal home with Jesus.

I want to be able to be that kind of person. To place my hope in what is to come and not what is going on around me.

I turned to Ecclesiates the other night when doing my evening devotions. Once again, God knew I must have needed a push. Here the author (Solomon?) resounds with the message that life is not a puzzle to be solved. It reminds us to view life as God's good gift to us, rather than to bog down in the analysis of our life and circumstances. God wants us to enjoy life and to find purpose and meaning to it. But the only way he can accomplish His purpose is when we allow Him to fill the emptiness of our searching hearts with himself.

My prayer is that he does just that for me...fill me in this season until my cup is overflowing.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8