The View From a Knot Hole

There is a story told of a little boy who loved the annual parade in his small town.  Months before the parade date he would begin to count down the days by marking each day off his calendar with a big red “X.”  The parade always started with the big red fire trucks with their lights flashing and their sirens wailing.  Then the marching bands with marching feet in perfect step as music filled the air for a cheering crowd.  He could hardly wait to see the clowns with their honking noses that always made him laugh and then there were floats decorated in bright colors loaded with kids waving to the crowds and sometimes they would even throw candy.  As the parade came to an end, there would be horses with their manes braided with ribbons and their tails combed out into huge puff balls. At the very end would be a big gray elephant swinging his trunk back and forth and high on his back would be a little brown money with a red vest.  That was the best part of the whole parade. 

Finally the day of the parade arrived.  The little boy hardly slept all night waiting to hear those sirens that would signal that the parade had started and would soon be close enough for him to see.  On the day of the parade his mother told him exactly where he could go to watch. He ran out of the house headed for the spot where he would be able to finally see the parade.  When he arrived at the placed his mother had told him he could watch he was horrified.  Someone had put up a big white fence.   There was no way he would ever be able to see over that fence.  He had waited too long for this day to be denied.  He ran down the fence looking for any space he could see through and then he spotted it – a big knot hole.  He pressed his face up against that knot hole and with a big grin watched the fire trucks, the bands, the clowns, the floats, the horses, and finally that big gray elephant and that little brown money with the red vest. 

I think about this story often as I join the little boy with my face pressed up against the fence as I watch my life parade in front of me as I peer through a knot hole in time.  From my knot hole, I cannot see what has already passed by or what is coming next.  I can only see what is right in front of me.  When life doesn’t make sense, I get very frustrated and sometimes a little angry.  I love seeing the parties, the celebrations, and the fun times pass before me.  But in life there are also some “not so fun” things that pass by.  I see the loss of a job, financial difficulties, and bad news from the doctor, things that are just not fair.  I read prayer requests that come into the radio station like these -

“I am 16 years old and I have been having horrible pressure pains in my lower abdomen and back. The doctors believe its ovarian cancer(runs in my family) I am very scared and need your prayers saint of God. I am a firm believer in Gods healing hands.”

“My daughter is 5 weeks pregnant. I took her to the ER Friday evening because she was having cramps, and she is high risk due to having a miscarriage in 2009 at 3 months along. They did some blood work and just told her today that her blood count is off, that she could be having a miscarriage, an abnormal pregnancy, or it could be something life threatening.”

“Seems everything is slowly falling apart.. everything I try seems to go wrong. Things that I don't control seem to go the wrong way to.... without lots of details.. managing to find myself in financial squeeze, just unrest with way life is going, and lots of other things that just feel like they are caving in on me..”

“After making it through his procedure without incident last week, we are now sitting in ICU. Very low blood pressure, indications of congestive heart failure.”

I can easily become overwhelmed and discouraged when I continue to press my face against the fence and view life through a knot hole, but then I remember to look up and remember that God is not limited by knot holes.  He sees the beginning, the end, and everything in between and has told me that He is working everything together for my good. 

Exodus 33:13-15 (MSG) Moses said to God, "Look, you tell me, 'Lead this people,' but you don't let me know whom you're going to send with me. You tell me, 'I know you well and you are special to me.' If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don't forget, this is your people, your responsibility."  God said, "My presence will go with you. I'll see the journey to the end."

You and I are special to God and His presence is with us.  He is all knowing, all powerful, and knot holes do not limit His view.  Whatever you are seeing today is not the end.  Hang in there God has something special yet to come.

There will be a test . . .

The school year is winding down and visions of swimming pools, and bikes, and long summer nights dance in the head of every child. Their teachers sound just like Charlie Brown’s teacher, “wah wah wah..wah wah wah....”   There is always that tension of staying focused until after finals, and the care free summer video playing in their head.

That is still true of me, and it has been a while since I was walking up and down the halls of a school.  Life still has tests that I am expected to pass.   As a Christ follower, there are certain truths that I am expected to learn and then implement in my life.  I am expected to be a doer of the word and not a hearer only.  We are called to be life time learners, and like it or not, periodically we are tested.

First off, I am not a big fan of tests.  They make me a little nauseous.  I can’t sleep the night before, and the day of the test I can’t eat, and my hands sweat.  I would prefer to avoid them all together, but as I have mentioned, they are coming regardless so I better be paying attention.  There is an old proverb that says; “If you don’t have time to do it right you must have time to do it over.”  Do overs are great in some areas of my life, but when it comes to tests, I would rather only take the test once.

I find that even though I have passed mile marker 60, I still have some of those high school tendencies.  I am just merrily going through life and then there is a test.  Somehow I am still caught off guard that there is actually a test.  All those days that I was reading my Bible and talking with the Lord I was actually supposed to be learning something?  I was supposed to remember what the Lord was saying to me?  I want to say that I didn’t know there would be a test, but that would not be true. As much as I do not like tests, I know they are coming and I know they are good for me.  Yes, I said good for me.  I know that tests allow me to put into use truths from the word and apply them to my everyday ordinary life. I know the test sorts out what I really have taken to heart and what I just thought sounded nice, but not applicable to me.   I know I should be paying attention in class, I know I should be taking notes; I know I should be doing my homework, so that when the test comes I will be prepared.  But sometimes I just don’t.  And the test comes.  And I am alone.  And I do not know the answers or I know the answer but just blow it.  I look around frantically for my Teacher wondering why He has left me alone feeling scared and nauseous and my hands sweating.

Then I remember a statement that I read somewhere, “Teachers are always silent during a test.”  At the time I read it, I thought it was a cool statement and something to think about, but it has become one of those statements that keeps looping around my brain. 

The simple truth of the statement strikes me.  Teachers are silent during a test.  So as my teacher, Jesus has been teaching me all along to pass this test.  He has been showing me insights and truths in His word.  He has allowed me to hear songs, hear sermons, hear podcasts that speak to what I am now being tested on.  I should have been paying more attention!!  Who knew there would be a test?  I knew!!  How many times in my Christian life has Jesus been silent during a testing time in my life and I have gone bonkers wondering why He isn’t directing me, why He isn’t leading me, why He seems to have left me on my own.  That is when this statement loops back around, “Teachers are silent during a test.”    The Lord has not left me, but He is silent waiting for me to remember everything He has been teaching me.

I can tell you right now I am not a straight A student.  I have had my fair share of “F’s.”  I have taken a lot of pop quizzes that I really should have aced, but just didn’t have my head in the game at the time the quiz was given.  I have fought through some really hard testing seasons.  If there were no tests, I would just keep going through life with my head in the clouds.  Jesus has better than that for me.  He is teaching to the goal of transformation.  I can also tell you this - I have the best teacher ever!!!!!  He is creative, He is innovative, He is available 24/7 for extra tutoring and most of all - He loves me.  

 James 1:2-4 (MSG) Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Wild Roses

The moment I stepped out of my front door, I was unexpectedly greeted by the sweet fragraance of wild roses. What a way to start my day.  The air was heavy with the aroma that is unmistakable with any other flower, but a rose.   It was heavenly!
It is remarkable the impact smell has on our memory. POW!  I was in the middle of Illinois on a Tuesday morning in 2012, but was immediately transported to St. Petersburg, Russia 2001 as I inhaled the beautiful scent of wild roses. I can now say that I am a time traveler!  In 2001, I had been on a missions trip to a summer camp that had once been used to indoctrinate children in communism, but was now being used for educational purposes and our group was there to share our love for Jesus. Children from homes of power and influence were there for the summer to continue their education.  We were there to spread the aroma of wild roses. It was in a remote area north of St. Petersburg and wild roses were everywhere. The sweet aroma filled our lungs and reminded us that love was literally in the air.  Legend has it that one rose means love at first sight and 999 roses means true love. If that is true, God was saying to these Russian children that His love for them was intimate and limitless.      

                                                     

I had one of those God orchestrated encounters with a young man whose heart was captured with the sweet perfume of God's love.  His name was Nick, and he came to me as asked if I would pray with him to ask Jesus into his heart.  He told me that there was no such prayer in Russia.  I gave him the tract with the rose on it that explained he was special to God no matter where he was and God's love for him knew no boundaries.  

As I walked down my country road in Illinois, I remembered why I was in Russia 2001 – to spread the sweet aroma of God’s boundless love for all people.  My mission has not changed. I am still called to spread the sweet fragrance of God’s boundless and limitless love wherever I go. 

2 Corinthians 2: ^14-16a In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life.

Happy Mother’s Day!  Happy Mother’s Day!  

REST

REST!  Now that sounds wonderful.  That is exactly what every mom needs!  That is what I need!! 

With so many things to juggle, so many decisions to be made, and so many unexpected and unplanned happenings, the offer of Matthew 11:28  Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest,” is one I cannot refuse. 

 I can already envision myself on a white sandy beach in the Bahamas.  I am lying in a blue and white striped hammock between two stately green palm trees.  Every 30 minutes someone brings me a fresh glass of ice cold sweet tea in one of those fancy drink glasses with a little umbrella.  I have that book that I bought six months ago, and now I actually will have time to read it.  Now that would be rest.  How about you?  Maybe your perfect picture of REST is a getaway to the mountains, or a day at the mall shopping for nothing in particular with a $100 gift card.  For some moms, REST could simply be 5 minutes in the bathroom alone with no one banging on the door yelling MOM! 

Once again I immediately say that sounds great.  Sign me up.  Where do I register?  I gladly say to the Lord, here is my mess and I will be back in two weeks to see how you handled all of this.  Sounds wonderful, but giving up control is still not easy for me even though I have been blogging for over a year under the name "Out of Control" as I work on the control issue on a daily basis.  I still want a little control.  I still want what I want, but I will generously give God two weeks to make it happen.  This arrangement seems reasonable to me. Karon Goodman explains it this way,  “We have become so accustomed to ordering and orchestrating and planning and scheduling that it is incredibly hard to admit that not all is within our control.  Many decisions every day are ours to handle, and we get pretty good at taking care of things.  We believe that we could carry on even better if god would cooperate.  We demand the answers we need from Him, and yet we hear no response.  We question and condemn the intolerable delays in the events we need to happen in our lives, and yet nothing changes.  Doesn’t God know that we need those answers now?”
I am afraid that I live from this misguided perspective on many occasions. From God’s perspective, I have one foot in my hammock but the other one is squarely on the ground.  I am willing to share my plans, but I have set up very definite boundaries. One foot in a hammock and one foot on the ground is a very precarious way to live and not restful at all. There is a good chance a crash landing is on the horizon as the uneven weight distribution causes the hammock to do one of those crazy flips.

When God says He will give me rest, He means for me to give up all control, surrender, die to my ideas, my time frames, and my plans.  It means He will be handling my problems according to His plan and His timeline, and He does not need my help. I am determined to get both feet in the hammock this Mother's Day.  Praying you will rest in the Lord this Mother's Day and every day after.

Joyce Meyer writes this: 

“Good morning, this is God!  I will be handling all your problems today.  I will not need your help-so, have a good day.  I love you!”

Happy Mother’s Day!  

Enlist Today!

 Have you ever read the history of the Navajo code talkers in WWII?  It is a remarkable part of our nation’s history.   In World War II, the military was desperately searching for a code that the Japanese would not be able to break.   It was vital that all parts of the military be able to communicate troop movement, strategies, and war tactics without the enemy’s knowledge.  During that time, the son of a missionary to the Navajo tribe, one of the few people who knew the unwritten language of the Navajo, suggested using the Navajo language.   The language is complex with its vast tonal qualities and syntax and there are variations of dialects.  The beauty of the Navajo language was that it had no alphabet and no symbols and was only spoken by a small tribe in the American Southwest.  It was the perfect communication tool. No part of the code was every written down but had to be memorized. 

In the first 48 hours of the battle of Iwo Jimo, 800 transmissions were sent out with perfect accuracy.  According to www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-2.htm  “ Navajo code talkers took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the from 1942 to 1945. They served in all six Marine divisions, Marine Raider battalions and Marine parachute units, transmitting messages by telephone and radio in their native language a code that the Japanese never broke. Once a Navajo code talker completed his training, he was sent to a Marine unit deployed in the Pacific theater. The code talkers' primary job was to talk, transmitting information on tactics and troop movements, orders and other vital battlefield communications over telephones and radios. They also acted as messengers, and performed general Marine duties.”

I was struck by the seeming simplicity, yet invaluable, nature of their duty – “The code talkers’ primary job was to talk.”  I am wondering if I can boil my duty as a Christ follower down to -  my primary job is to pray.  Because the code talkers talked thousands of lives were saved, battles were won, the enemies’ movements were countered and defeated, and they helped to bring the war to an end.   If I would spend more time praying would I see more lives saved, more battles won, the enemy defeated, and help to usher in the return of my Lord?   In one article I read that the code talkers were referred to as living codes.  I wonder how our world would be affected if we were living prayer code talkers.  What if I became living prayer?

  1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)   Never stop praying.

Even after the war, the code was kept a military secret and those Navajo who had been instrumental in saving thousands of lives remained silent.  It was not until 60 years later in 2001 that Congressional Medals of Honor were given out.  I truly believe that only heaven will reveal those who were hidden away in their prayer closets transmitting God’s instructions from heaven to earth helping to chart the course of history.  They are living code talkers. 

Today is the National Day of Prayer and if there was ever a time our world needed prayer, it is today.  My prayer is that we will all take our place in the battle and become living code talkers.