FLYING LESSONS

Only our heavenly Papa can have conversations with us that would sound like a rebuke from anyone else, but when He whispers them, we sense His great love! The conversation may approach like roaring thunder, shattering our paradigms or it may sail in like a gentle breeze revealing our need for a changed perception, but in both He draws close and touches your life and you and your perspective are forever changed. I had such a moment not long ago.

Papa told me a while back that He wanted me to live my life without a net and that I had missed opportunities to minister for Him because I had been too busy setting up nets for self-protection. Ouch! But thankfully He also shared that I didn't need to be afraid to walk on the "tightrope" because His net was ALWAYS there waiting for me. So I did just that and was able to experience new and exciting ways to serve Him. However, during a particularly difficult time a few months ago, I was crying out to the Lord that I felt like I was falling and asked Him where His net was because it seemed certain I was about to hit the ground. Do you know what He whispered to my heart? He said "Sandy, sometimes when it feels like you’re falling, you are just learning to fly!"

To be honest, it didn’t feel much like flying at the time and I still wanted assurance of Papa’s net, but they never came. Just like the mother eagle does to her eaglets that have grown too big to live in the nest, Papa instead, little by little, pulled out the cushy feathers that lined the nest of my life, making it uncomfortable and even downright painful at times. As I peered over the edge of what had been my comfy nest, the ground below looked far away and taking that first step was unthinkable! My heart was brimming with trepidation as I envisioned that out-control feeling that would envelop me if I jumped out from my familiar place of security.

But whether due to a desire for obedience or a simple reluctance to possibly miss His best for me, I’ve decided to jump.

Admittedly, my first "flying lessons" have been awkward and seem more like falling than flying, but Papa is a good Father who knows my limits and my future, so He spurs me on with dreams of flying and promises of His providential care. When I get in trouble, His mighty wings swoop under me to keep me from hitting the ground and I finally realized that the net He mentioned earlier was in reality, not a net at all, but the safety of His ever present arms!

Dear one, you too are safe in the caress of His mighty wings! He knows your limits AND your future and you cannot be all He created you to be if you stay in the comfort of your spiritual nest! Have things become less comfortable in your life? Maybe He is trying to spur you on with dreams of flying and perhaps Papa has some "flying lessons" on your horizon too. Be bold and take the first step! Will it be frightening? Maybe, but if you have grown as much as you can in your little nest, perhaps He is calling you to take that leap of faith, trusting that He will never let you hit the ground!

So as we take this leap, even though it may feel as if we are jumping off a cliff into the darkness of the great unknown, we need to imagine in our mind’s eye that we are learning to fly! I am so very thankful that as we falter in our early "flying lessons" that Papa will "bear us up as on eagle's wings". Through all of our failed attempts, false starts and the turbulent winds that threaten to destroy us, He is there! Waiting. Let us jump with reckless abandon, knowing that underneath are His everlasting arms….and let’s fly!

Papa,
We long to soar to new heights and experience every single good thing that You have envisioned for our lives…but sometimes the bold steps that You are calling us to seem scary and we are hesitant to move from the safety of the familiar. Please come and help us to discern Your clear guidance and encourage our hearts to trust in your continual care! Remind us kind Father that each and every call to soar above our comfort zone is an invitation to scale the heights with You; for we are never left to fledge alone! Amen

                                                        The Fairness Of Life

“Well, that’s just not fair!” How many times have we heard someone else say these five words? And how many times in life have we spoken them out loud ourselves or just gave them free reign to echo off the confines within our hearts? I know I’ve whispered them before. How about you?  Probably. Because your life just like mine, in fact, just like everyone’s has places of frustration, disappointment and genuine sorrow. So most likely we’ve all entertained or voiced those five words.

There were critical promotions that we were passed over for; there were long-held dreams that were suddenly crushed when we had dared to believe that they were within our extending grasp. Yes, and there were hopes that had been the source of joy or peace that were seemingly dashed in a moment-for the simple truth is; no one gets a pass on difficulty or sorrow. And if you think someone has everything in life then you just aren’t looking close enough or you don’t know them well enough. No one escapes them, no one.

The dictionary defines the word fair as “in accordance with the rules or standards; legitimate”. But that’s not what we mean when we talk about the fairness of life. Usually we think about situations being the same for everyone involved. But how realistic is that thought?  Now Jesus did indeed promise that in this life we would have tribulation, but He never said that our lives would be exactly the same. Each and every earthly life will have its share of trouble, so I should be okay with that…

But what about those whose godly lives are cut short without warning? What about the little children whose entire existence are filled with hunger and sorrow? What about the young men and women who are forced into lives of untold horrors in the sex trade industry? That doesn’t seem fair or equitable to me! What do we do with the injustice, the unfairness that surrounds us or those we care about? What are we to do with the burning questions that surround every example of perceived injustice?

Well, to be honest with you, when Papa whispered for me to write this devotional I really hesitated. Because in my heart of hearts I knew that not only did I not possess any easy clear answer to this…I really don’t think that there is one, for now. So if you were hoping for some kind of lovely answer that would squelch our questions and concerns, tying them up in a neat little package with a bright bow, then you will be disappointed with the rest of this devotional.

For the truth is; when the disappointments are so deep that they grip our hearts and the sorrow is so bottomless that it takes our breath away; there is only Jesus. We can only cast the weight of our sorrow or disappointment upon our loving Savior. In this present life we can only see yesterday and today, for our tomorrows reside in the great unknown. But our Lord was present in every yesterday, He is available in our every today and He securely presides over each and every tomorrow. He alone inhabits the seat that is high and lifted up. He alone holds eternity in His nail scarred hand and He alone is the One who on the final day will surely bring all the books together and administer ultimate justice and complete fairness.

Until then, I will choose to draw close to Him and foster contentment knowing that He is most certainly working out all things for my eventual good. How about you? Today will you choose to trust that His design is overflowing with a higher good for yourself and for those you love? Even though it may be veiled in the obscurity that pain and suffering can bring. Can we believe together that His plan, though we cannot begin to fully grasp all it parts or embrace each of its aspects; is still His good and perfect plan?

Happiness and contentment is often a choice we have to make on a daily, maybe hourly basis. There will always be things that detract from our “happiness meter” but there are also ALWAYS things we can rejoice in…knowing that our Father is actively working on our behalf as we serve, worship and trust in Him can go a long way in turning our hearts from focusing on our sorrow and disappointments to fostering contentment in our lives. No, life doesn’t always seem fair, but no matter how dismal certain parts or seasons of our lives may be we can choose to savor the blessings we are currently experiencing.

Yes, though our hearts are heavy with sorrow and burdens; always, always there remains good, comfort, peace and hope…for He is always with us! And He has vowed never to leave us and surely His abiding presence ushers in good, comfort, peace and hope! Yes, even or especially when the sorrow falls heavy and the joy seems fragile…when the grief threatens to swallow us up and the comfort is fleeting. It is precisely then that His sweet presence is ushered in bringing with it healing for our yesterdays, comfort for today and an enduring hope for all of our remaining tomorrows.

Today, may we each choose to embrace the Apostle Paul’s outlook on life and ministry from II Corinthians 6:10  “…Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing and yet possessing everything” and leave the fairness of life into the capable hands of the only One who has the unobstructed view of times past, of todays being lived out and every single tomorrow, trusting Him to be the administer of fairness and the wise and loving judge of all! And may we resolutely turn our focus from the disappointments of this life to the pervasive joys that will be ours when the time has fully come! May His promise echo in our hearts that one day “He will wipe every tear from [our] eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain…” Revelation 21:4 On that day, most assuredly our hearts will proclaim; “You, Lord do all things well!”

                                                

Wow! Two extra-looooong devotionals in a row, sorry about that! Hopefully this one will shed a little light on what may be a dimly lit corner in your quest to hear from God. If you are experiencing a “silent” period with the Lord or just long to hear His voice better, then grab some coffee or tea and read on : )

God Is Trying To Tell You Something

Although I have been a believer for over 40 years, my Father never ceases to amaze me! I am always experiencing a new facet of who He is! He knows everything about us and lovingly, faithfully reveals more of Himself in our journey together! This was reaffirmed to me recently when one of our church elders; Chuck King preached.

I slipped into my seat, grabbed my notebook and pen, read the title of Chuck’s sermon and laughed out loud…right there in front of God and everyone! It read; “God Is Trying To Tell You Something”. To better understand why this was so funny you need to know that for the past several months I have been eating, sleeping and pretty much breathing an attempt to get my Father’s clear direction concerning a particular decision that lies before me…all without much to show for it. So it was natural to laugh when I saw the title of His message. I can almost see Papa smiling and elbowing Jesus and saying “Watch this!” as I picked up the bulletin. And of course the irony was not lost on me that I was scheduled to write this particular devotional, at this exact time, months ago, which was a heartwarming  reminder of God’s sense of humor-and His perfect timing in my life. I smile when I think about how all these weeks this is exactly what I have been secretly hoping to see in big bold letters, preferably written in the sky to be sure I couldn’t possibly miss it; God Is Trying To Tell You Something!!!

Well the first thing Chuck shared about our journey to hear from God was the difference between hearing and listening. You know, we all hear pretty well-noise works its way through our auditory system and we hear…but listening is not quite so automatic and active listening is even rarer. I had to wonder if some of our listening for God’s voice was actually waiting to hear something instead of fully absorbing what we have heard Papa say. The truth is; listening takes effort and focus on our part, so while it’s far easier to “hear” we are going to miss much of what God is trying to convey if we don’t make the effort to focus and truly listen.

The next thing he mentioned was that God wants us to recognize His voice and he used John 10:4 to talk about that.  “…and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.”  I thought about this and asked myself; “How did the sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice?” I believe it was through practiced listening! They spent every waking moment listening for the voice of their shepherd. Sheep are not considered terribly intelligent beasts, they are also portrayed as easily frightened and skittish, so it was ingrained within them to know where their shepherd was at all times for he was their only hope of nourishment, companionship and safety. They did this through practiced listening and just living life together.

They may not be the “sharpest crayons” in the box, but they are smart enough to understand their absolute dependence on recognizing their shepherd’s call. You see at night, for safety’s sake, various shepherds would gather their respective flocks and put them in a pen of sorts, together. Well as you can imagine the flocks got mingled through the night, so when the sunrise emerged every sheep had to be listening for and perceiving their shepherd’s voice as he called out their name, so they wouldn’t be left behind.

And I wondered in my heart if we were being diligent to distinguish through practiced listening our Shepherd’s voice. Do we see our absolute dependence on our Shepherd for nourishment, companionship and even our very lives? Or are we instead waiting for Him to come into the pen where we find ourselves, pick us up and carry us to the place He’s calling us to go? But God gave us legs so that we could travel to wherever He’s sending us. Recognizing His voice and following it will go a long way in getting us to the place of promise that He created us to enjoy.

Well if it is safe to assume that our Father is always speaking and if we are coming to distinguish our Shepherd’s sweet voice, then what else can we do to grasp His vital messages to us? One of the best ways is by positioning ourselves to a place that is conducive for receiving. So what does that practically look like?

First; BE PREPARED. No, not prepared like the Boy Scout’s motto, but rather be prepared to listen! There are numerous ways to do that which will vary according to each individual and every unique situation, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

BE AVAILABLE. God may be trying to tell you something but if we are unwilling to make the time to listen, then we are most likely going to miss it. We need to be willing to carve out time from our busy schedules to make listening a priority. We need to choose to set up regular times to listen instead of merely hoping to hear something. In other words we need to be intentional about it.

BE STILL. Often He speaks in a still small voice, but that’s difficult to hear when there is a myriad of anxieties churning around on the inside. Give your worries to Him for He is more than able to “hold” your concerns while you get still and quiet before Him. Sometimes we go astray in this by continuing to ask the same question over and over. Ever been there? I have. The picture Papa game me for this was when my girls were young and I was trying to convey something important to them and they kept interrupting me to ask the same unrelated question over and over. Papa asked me what I did when that happened and I said “I guess I got quiet because it was clear that they were so focused on that one question that they had ceased listening” and He said “Right, that’s what I do too” and the dim bulb finally went on! Lol If you have a burning question on your heart and the Lord seems quiet, then you might want to consider if you’ve been interrupting the discourse to the point that He’s elected to be “silent”. Choosing to quiet my questions for a time period has gone a long way in reducing the number and length of “silent” periods with my Father. No one likes to be interrupted, not even God.

BE READY. When I am actively listening I try to keep my pen and my notebook or journal in hand. Sometimes this small step really helps me focus, listen and then remember later what He’s said. I have found that when Papa speaks to me it usually has layers to it, some I get initially and others that get peeled back as I meditate on what He’s shared. So if I have written down His guidance I can come back later and ponder further and usually when I do that I can glean more, which is always my desire.

BE OPEN. Don’t put God in a box. In my forty plus years as a believer I have certainly learned that God rarely, if ever, does things in the way that I had imagined He would. His message could come at any moment and from any direction. He might speak a word to the deep recesses of your inner being or it could come through His manual for living (aka the Bible) or perhaps through the godly counsel of trusted others. I’ve also experienced Him using nature or my own personal circumstances to speak to me. Sometimes it’s a “fresh” word, other times He reminds me of promises spoken long ago and my heart is grateful for both.

BE PATIENT. Be willing to wait on Him. This is not my strong suit and I find myself getting antsy when His word is not coinciding with my perceived order of events. But the truth is; His divine word is well worth waiting on! God alone fully knows the past, present and eternal future, so trusting Him to share when the time has fully come will bring the very best results. I realize that this can be difficult when others are seeking your input NOW, but don’t give into people pleasing or settle for the word of mere man when God’s voice is what is truly needed. Be daring enough to trust that when all things have fallen into place, He will speak.

BE CONTENT. Although there may be a sense of urgency to hear God’s voice right now concerning future events, learn to be content where He has you today! Foster joy in the blessings and the promises He’s set before you today and rejoice that they are just the tip of the iceberg of the unimaginable good that He has planned for your life! Don’t miss today’s blessings for they are rich and sweet and they were meant to be enjoyed now, besides, often you cannot recapture them later.

BE SENSITIVE TO HINDRANCES. God may be speaking, but sometimes distractions can hinder us from hearing His voice. Common hindrances include; doubt, busyness, distraction, fear, disobedience or delayed obedience. An expansion of these will have to come in a different devotional, but do be careful to remove any hindrances that could be blocking the Lord’s voice. Not sure? Ask Him, He will be faithful to reveal them to you.

BE QUICK TO OBEY. If He tells you something that requires action, then be prompt to obey. I have found that immediate obedience brings an earlier revelation of the next step He’s calling us to. Sometimes we get stuck in our growth with God because we have not obeyed a word He spoke in the past. If God seems silent, go back and see if there is a word that required action on your part that you have not fully obeyed. Often He’s waiting on a particular obedience before He shares the next step for our voyage. Perhaps we are delaying action until we can see the entire journey that He has planned, but it doesn’t work that way; a loving relationship requires trust and our bond with God is no different.

Finally, after you have walked these ideas out, then BE ALERT AND EXPECTANT! God may speak at any time, from any place or in any way. Be actively watching and listening for it, scrutinizing the topography of our lives for any clues to the waiting treasures of His melodious voice! And let your heart cry be that of Samuel; “Speak Lord for Thy servant is listening.”

Well clearly I’m no expert on this, but I have learned at least one thing in my long-standing quest and that is; don’t let your focus be on hearing God’s voice, let it be on drawing close in worship…for no answer compares with sitting on our Papa’s lap, lovingly entwined in His embrace! Make your ultimate goal one of humble worship and heartfelt adoration and eventually the answer you seek will come-in His time, though know that its importance will fade in comparison to the divine romance that we two share!

Dear readers,
I apologize in advance for the length of this particular devotional but pray that it will be a small blessing to your day. It is also a devotional that is geared toward women...but for my guy readers I hope that you will find some encouragement as well even though "beauty" isn't a goal that many men strive for. 
I also pray that the sweet presence of Christ will saturate every circumstance of your precious lives and that in every situation you will find both opportunity and the needed boldness to share the hope of Jesus Christ with those that Papa God lovingly sets in your paths today!
Sweetest Blessings,
Sandy

“BEAUTIFUL”

In times past, there was a little girl that lived on the “wrong” side of town, they were a good and loving family but had little of what this world would consider wealth or status. When the little girl was growing up, her parents could not afford expensive gifts; her grandparents however, spoiled her! Something special happened one Christmas Eve at her grandparent’s home, when the little girl was about 5 years old. All the presents had been opened, but everyone seemed to be waiting on something, even as a small child she could sense it. Her Grandpa winked at her and held out his large hand, so she took it. He led her upstairs to the spare room and there just inside the door was an off-white provincial vanity.  When she lifted the lid on it, it was filled with pretend make-up and jewelry! She was AMAZED! She had never seen anything so lovely in her entire life and the little girl was so happy!

She could see the excitement in her Grandpa’s eyes and she knew she was loved…not because of the gift, but because of the look of love in his eyes. She was just a plain little girl, who was never really noticed in a crowd, but this gift of love made her special, not because of the gift, but because of the love that was behind the gift. I guess all good Grandpas (and Grandmas) know that every little girl wants to feel beautiful!

As the little girl grew up into a young woman, she was entrusted with two little girls of her own. They were the woman’s treasure and delight! Although finances were tight, she bought the little girls pretty clothes and pretend make-up. And then as the girls grew into young women, she bought more pretty clothes and real make-up. I guess all good Moms (and Dads) know that every young woman wants to be beautiful!

Of course every little girl like the one in the story and every grown-up girl wants to be pretty, to be beautiful and I am no different. It seems we as women spend our lives trying to be beautiful, we are ever struggling to live up to society’s standards, no matter how unrealistic they may be! I would love to be taller, a few pounds thinner and prettier, but my heavenly Papa whispers to my heart that to Him I am already beautiful and so are you! He chose everything about you…the color of your eyes, the shape of your nose, the way that you laugh. His loving fingerprints are all over you! And because of His great and unconditional love, He, like the grandpa in the story also gave a beautifying gift; He generously gave the gift of His only Son.  And His gift gives us each the opportunity to be beautiful from the inside out! Oh that your heart would hear Him whisper that today, right now, you are beautiful, valued and so very deeply loved!

And as those profoundly loved of God, I invite you to at least momentarily set aside the cares of this week and enfold yourself into this future scenario.

It was a cold and blustery day and the mail truck has come and gone, so you put on your long scratchy winter coat and your winter boots. Gloves and scarf are next, “Hmm, is it really worth the effort?”, you ask yourself since it’s probably filled with bills and junk mail, but still, hope springs eternal, so onward you trudge. As the mailbox  s-q-u-e-a-k-s open, you glumly decide that you were right; it’s just bills and junk mail. For a moment you are tempted to shove it all back in the box for someone else to drag in, but you know it’s coming in sometime, so you gather it all up. Just when you think that you’ve got it all, a very thick, shiny gold envelope slips out from the pile of junk mail and lands unceremoniously in the snow. You pick it up, brush off the snow and see that it has your name handwritten on the front.

Hmmm, that’s interesting, so you check the top left corner, but there is no return address and the mail stamp is blurred. What could it be?  Is it a mistake? But no, that IS your name clearly written on the front and it has the correct home address too. The phone rings as you are coming in the door, so you drop the rest of the mail on the counter. You answer the phone, while still grasping the opulent gold envelope. It is the school calling, your child has come down with the stomach flu that is going around and must be picked up immediately. So you grab your keys and purse and run out the door, leaving the gold parchment envelope lying on the counter beside the phone.

You get your daughter home and help her peel out of her soiled clothes, easing her into soft clean jammies. She crawls into bed and you fluff her pillow and bring her some juice and crackers. The rest of the kids come piling in the door with whoops and shouts about their day. Dinner is next and clean up after that. Finally the kids are in bed and you remember the gold envelope that is still lying on the counter beside the phone. You pick it up and wonder what it could be! Your curiosity gets the better of you and you start to rip it open.

The crackle of the envelope, gives way to a gold embossed card that simply reads on the front; “You Are Invited…” As you open the card you see that amazingly you have received an invitation to the throne of God! You shall have an audience with the King of all Kings! The invitation also explains that everything you need to prepare for this special meeting is found in the manual that was included with the invitation.

What will you wear? How will you fix your hair? What will you say??? You begin to go through your closet, searching for just the right clothes to wear. Of course NOTHING in your closet even begins to be appropriate attire for this Royal meeting, but you do your best and then you move onto what in the world you will say!

You read the included manual every day trying to prepare for your meeting with the King. You test many beauty treatments, attempting to look as lovely as possible for your date with royalty. However, you eventually notice that the date of this special meeting is not given anywhere on the invitation, so as life gets busy, it is easy to lose sight of your upcoming audience with the King.

As time passes, the young woman watches her children grow up and move away. Through the years she says a tearful goodbye to many that she loves dearly. Finally the woman herself grows old and fragile having never had her audience with the King. But on a God ordained day, the woman’s earthly journey ends and she finds herself standing outside of the Throne room in Heaven.

You look down and see that you are arrayed in lovely clothing that is so white and clean that it glistens! There are mighty angels that stand guard at the massive gold doors. Everyone there is smiling and you have the feeling that something amazing is about to transpire. Another angel approaches you and tells you that your audience with the King has come at last! As the door opens noiselessly, you step in and your eyes are nearly blinded by the glory that fills the room. The size of the room is not ascertainable because the glory of God is so bright that it is the only thing you can see. A voice that sounds like many waters calls you by name. He says another name that is new to you and yet at the same time you somehow know that it is yours. You hesitantly step forward, shaking and not knowing what to say or do. Partly due to fear and partly due to reverence, you fall down on your knees, weeping. Through your tears you see someone walking toward you and they are covered in the same amazing light too. You notice that on His feet are wounds and you realize that it is Jesus! He reaches down and gently pulls you to an upright position and together you walk hand-in-hand toward the other source of that glorious light.

You stand before the King and everything you had thought to say escapes you and you are speechless. Standing there in silence, you begin to think about your many failures and mistakes and how you could never belong in such a holy place, but just as you are turning to go, the King begins to rise and you know that you cannot leave, for there is nowhere that you can escape His all-seeing eyes. He steps down from His throne, His magnificent robe rustling against the golden floor and He reaches out and cups your face with His massive hands. You continue to weep and your tears run down over His hands. He lifts up your face until you are looking directly into His eyes and the depth of love you see there is comforting and exhilarating at the same time. He tells you that He has loved you with an everlasting love and that because He created you; you have been and will always be beautiful! Perhaps for the very first time, you see the unique and precious loveliness that He has planted deep within your life and how it is somehow an adornment to these opulent surroundings. In the warmth of His touch and the look in His eyes, every doubt, every question of your life is answered and you realize that at long last you are home.

Dear friend, your invitation lies ready and on a God appointed day we shall each stand before our King! So may we spend our lives preparing for that meeting and may we with the help of our good and loving Father recognize that there is a gentle but opulent beauty that resides with in us TODAY as daughters of the King, for in His eyes we are indeed BEAUTIFUL!