Monday Morning Memo: Erasing Our Past

If you are reading this today and hoping for a “feel good” moment…you may not get your wish.  I’m not sure when my spirit has been so troubled.  I try hard to be positive when things are going the wrong way…but the current events in the world have at times, made me very frustrated.

There are many things that have me troubled, but right now one of them has me feeling very unsettled.  It is the attempt to erase our country’s history in an effort to end racism.  Do we have events in our past that were wrong?  Of course we do.  But trying to erase them from our history books isn’t the answer.  It is our past from which we learn.  It is our past where we see when we were in error.  It is our past that shows us those things that helped shape us to be who we are today and yes, some of those events aren’t pleasant.  But if we don’t learn from those times…if we don’t share those moments with the next generation…they may not learn from our mistakes…and make them again.

I’m not a trained counselor, but I can’t help but think about what more than likely happens, when a patient shares with their doctor a horrifying event in their past.  Does the doctor tell the patient they just need to forget it completely?  Do they tell them that if they just wipe it from their memory they won’t have to deal with it anymore?  I am doubtful that this would be the answer to their healing.    

Racism is a heart and sin issue and, unfortunately, it has been apparent since the beginning of time.  In fact, there is racism in the Bible.  As an example, Jewish people felt the Samaritan’s were a second-class people who they weren’t supposed to talk to, touch or even be in their presence.  Jesus did the unimaginable when he approached a Samaritan woman at the well (John 4).  Jesus, who was a Jewish man, took time to speak to her and treated her equally and invited her to experience the Living Water so that she could spend eternity with Him.  By His example, we are shown how others are to be treated…but if our heart isn’t right with Him, we will continue to cause division and pain.

Should we tear out pages in the Bible that speak of racism to make sure and erase those events from our past?  Absolutely not…but I fear that is where we are headed.  Again, erasing our past is not the answer…learning from our past and making sure that our heart is right with our Lord is the answer.  We have lost our focus in our country…and our hearts aren’t where they are supposed to be.

Isaiah 2:22 says, “Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils.  Of what account is he?”   Reading this, I come to the conclusion that this verse summarizes the main reason we aren’t where we should be.  When our focus is on mankind, mankind will let us down.  As Christians we need to remember that our focus is not to be on a human, but on the One who created us and will never let us down.

Humans can be unreliable, selfish, shortsighted, cruel…yet we often seek after them instead of putting our trust in our all-knowing God.  Psalm 100:5 tells us, “For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”  HE is good…HE is faithful…HIS love never fails.  

If we believe this to be true, then it is important that we ask ourselves: “Where is my focus?  In whom do I put my trust?  Whose image am I seeking?”  If we are truly seeking Christ…if we truly desire to look like Him in every area of our lives, then there is no place in us for racism.  We need to realize that ALL people are created in God’s image and we are called to love everyone and treat them the same way we desire to be treated.  The world needs to see the love and peace we have as a result of following Him.  It is peace that the world is looking for, but may never experience, unless they see it in us first.  

The answer is not in erasing our history…it is in learning from our past and making sure we are following Christ’s example.  Again, those we come in contact with need to see His peace and love in and through us…not our racism.  

Monday Morning Memo: Accomplishing the Impossible

“Accomplishing the impossible begins with seeing the invisible.”  I saw this quote by Steven Furtick and I haven’t been able to get it off my mind.  I read something like this and I immediately agree with what it says…but then living it out doesn’t come so easy.

Why is it so hard for me to see the invisible…especially when it comes to trusting God?  I trust a lot of other things that I cannot see.  I trust that there is a sun in the sky even when it is completely covered by clouds.  I trust that there is going to be air to breathe as I go throughout my day, but I can’t actually see it.  Many times in my life, I have trusted that when I have been pushed into an MRI machine, the pulses of radio wave energy, which I cannot see, will take pictures of areas inside my body.

But trusting an invisible God, even though I have seen the effect of the power of His hand, is much more difficult.  When it comes to trusting Him, I want something tangible.  I want proof.  I want facts.  I want details.  And of course…I want results!

I have a feeling that I am not alone in this and I wonder how often God shakes His head at our ways.  Knowing how much He loves us and how much He wants the very best for us, I can’t help but believe that He is saying, “Please my dear child, trust the invisible…because it is much more wonderful that anything you can even imagine or see with your own eyes.” 

I think part of the problem is that we bring God down to our size, instead of realizing how big and powerful He really is.  Nothing is impossible for Him.  Nothing makes Him wring His hands.  Nothing catches Him off guard or even makes Him break a sweat.  Absolutely nothing.

As some of you know, we owned a catering service for almost 40 years and now our son owns it and my husband and I work for him part-time.  When Covid-19 hit our area and the state restrictions were imposed on the business, in an instant, the business went from having 10-14 events a week to zero.  The business phone rang almost constantly as group after group called to cancel.  

I remember when our son looked at me and said, “I never thought this would happen”.  Of course, we didn’t either…but I told him that even though we didn’t see it coming…our God did.  None of it caught Him by surprise.  He wasn’t wringing His hands, wondering what in the world we were going to do.  He was still on the throne and was still in control…even if we couldn’t see His hand at work.   At that point, our son had to make the decision to put his trust in the invisible…knowing that with God…all things are possible.  The result?  God has been faithful and has been accomplishing the impossible to keep the business going.

What is it in your life today that just seems impossible?  What do you want to see accomplished but you just can’t make yourself step out in faith because there isn’t anything tangible to hold onto?  Remember the size of your God.  What you cannot see…He sees clearly.  What you cannot do…He has already done.  What you cannot achieve on your own…He already has it accomplished and is just waiting for you to step into His plan.  I happen to believe that when we do this and when the fog finally clears, what we will behold will be worth the first step into the unknown.

“We don’t yet see things clearly. 

We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. 

But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! 

We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, 

knowing him directly just as he knows us!”

1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG)

Monday Morning Memo: Achieving Our Potential

In 2014, I wrote these words:

If you have read my book “Image Seeker”, you know that I really dislike winter. I am definitely a summer girl and one of my favorite things to do is work in my flower beds, and I have several of them. One of my preferred flowers to plant is the petunia. It comes in a variety of colors and if cared for correctly, will profusely bloom for several months. 

But if my petunias are left to take care of themselves, it doesn’t take long for them to begin looking bad. The key to their health is receiving plenty of water, fertilizer and lots of pruning. I do my best to go over them every day, pulling off any despairing looking blooms, so that only the vibrant, healthy looking flowers are left. If I skip a day, I naturally have more dead flowers to contend with and if I miss several days, it can almost seem overwhelming to get them back to their beautiful state. 

As I was working in my gardens this past weekend, I was thinking about how much those petunias are like me. As long as I am spending time with the Lord, the Master Pruner, each day, my life can be a beautiful display of His handiwork. If I miss a day with Him, those things (sins) that are ugly in my life start to distract from my beauty. And with each day that I miss, more of the unattractive qualities are seen and unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for others to miss seeing His image in me, because my ugliness has won out. 

Once again, in 2020, I have lots of petunias to take care of each day.  But as I’ve been pruning them this year, another thought has entered my mind.  Petunias are a lot of work.  If I want them to flourish and be a thing of beauty, I have to be willing to put in the work.   Sure, there is no rule that says I have to deadhead them every day.  I could just let them be and there will still be some flowers growing…but they will never achieve their potential unless I am willing to do what it takes to see them thrive.

Hmmmm…once again this simple act of pruning my petunias has hit me between the eyes.  God wants so much for me…so much more than I can even imagine…but for it to be accomplished I have to be willing to put in the work.  I have to be willing to do what it takes each and every day to see His perfect plan unfold.  That means I may have to sacrifice…I may have to give up something that I  want to do…I will need to reach out to those less fortunate than me…I will need to be “Jesus with skin on” to every person He puts into my path.  I may even have to step way  out of my comfort zone to do whatever He is asking of me.  And, every day I will need to be disciplined in my reading of His Word, praying and intentional to listen for His guidance and direction.

I now have to ask myself if I’m willing to do these things each and every day.  No one can do them for me…it is my choice and my decision…just like it is yours.  You may be sensing that God is leading you to seek Him and be a shining light for Him every day…and to step out to accomplish something that seems way above your qualifications.  Remember, God doesn’t call the qualified…He qualifies the called.

Back in 2014, I ended my post with these words:

As you are enjoying this beautiful day that the Lord has given us, keep your eyes out for petunias. Let them be a constant reminder that you need to be pruned daily so that you will reflect His image. If you make that a priority, you will surely be a beautiful display of His handiwork! 

Now, in 2020, I feel led to ask you, “Are you willing to put in the work?  Are you willing to sacrifice what you want for what He wants?”  My friend, neither one of us will ever reach our full potential without being willing to do whatever it takes to see His plan unfold.  Will it be worth it?  You bet.  I happen to believe He will produce bountiful blooms within us and through us so that others will see Him in us.  We have a lost and broken world all around us…are we willing to do the work so they can find our Jesus too? 

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 

Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”

 

Colossians 3:23-24

 

Monday Morning Memo: An Unhinged World

It is a statement that I have heard said on many occasions…and if I’m honest…I’ve been known to say it more than once.  I think we often say it without really “hearing” what we are voicing, and I can’t help but think if we really listened to the words…we wouldn’t say them again.

When circumstances don’t make sense…when a diagnosis knocks us off our feet…when the world seems to be unhinged and out of our control…we often hear/say these words, “Well, I guess all we can do is pray”.  Hmmmm…sounds kind of hopeless, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, I think prayer is often our last resort…our last-ditch effort to make things right after we have tried everything else.  When all else has failed…I guess all we can do is pray.  When things don’t go the way we think they should go…I guess all we can do is pray.  When there are more questions than answers…I guess all we can do is pray.

Sadly, I think we sometimes use this statement as a cop out.  When we don’t want to have to take action, but still want to sound spiritual, we quip, “Well, I guess all we can do is pray”.  Then we either don’t pray about the situation…or we do pray but never listen for an answer…because that might mean we have to do something we don’t want to do.

If we would really grasp to Whom we are praying…it would become our first choice instead of our last resort.  We are able to have a conversation with the One who created everything.  The One who is all-powerful.  The One who knows absolutely everything about us.  The One who knows our yesterday, today and our tomorrow.  The One who loves us more than we can imagine.  The One who will never leave us or give up on us.  The One whose plan for us is perfect, so we should desire to do whatever He asks…so that this plan will be fulfilled.  The One who is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day and we never get a busy signal or a lost connection.    What a great opportunity we have to take everything we have to this One who has given His all…so that we can have a personal and vibrant relationship with Him.  

We are all living in a world that seems unhinged, and I’m guessing that many of you may have additional stresses in your life that no one else even knows about.  Whatever you are facing today, know that this One…this One who even knows the number of hairs on your head…is waiting for you to pour out your heart to Him.  Don’t wait until He is your last resort…turn to your Jesus first and allow Him to speak into your soul.  

Oh, if the world could see us turning to Him first, maybe, just maybe, they might want to turn to Him also.  Our unhinged world needs to see the hope that we have in Him; they need to see the power that we have available to us even when we are dealing with a pandemic.  They need to see that when things don’t go our way, we don’t fall apart, wringing our hands in despair…because our hope and faith are in this One with whom we can immediately turn to in prayer.  

I’ve been thinking…if we can make going to Him in prayer our immediate reaction, maybe our new response to our next life detour will be, “Oh what a great opportunity to go to my Jesus in prayer!”  That my friend…doesn’t sound hopeless at all!

“God's there, listening for all who pray, 

for all who pray and mean it.”

Psalm 145:18 (The Message)

Monday Morning Memo: A Savory Find

I love to cook and bake, which may not have been a good thing during our time of quarantine.  I’ve talked to others who have agreed that their waistlines looked a little different at the end of their time at home…than they did when it began.  Too much cooking and not enough exercise…that’s for sure.

I spent time finding new recipes, especially on the Internet, that had rave reviews from other cooks.  I took time to read their thoughts on whether the recipe should be made just as written, or whether they thought it was better with their own personal “tweaking”.  I always laugh though when a reviewer says they just loved the recipe…but then go on to list change after change they made to it.  In other words, they didn’t make the original recipe, they made up their own recipe!

It never ceases to surprise me though, when I make one of these tried and true concoctions, and we hate it.  Sometimes hundreds of other cooks say that this combination of ingredients is the best thing since sliced bread, and we can hardly swallow it.  I have to chuckle when my husband always says the same line when he doesn’t like my new dish: “You don’t ever have to make this again.”  That’s my cue that this particular recipe needs to be destroyed 

Does this failure stop me from trying new recipes?  Absolutely not.   Do I give up and tell myself that I guess I wasn’t meant to be a cook and I should resort to just serving TV dinners?  Of course not (especially since my husband hates them!).  Just because this new dish wasn’t a success, doesn’t mean my next attempt won’t be a savory find.

Just like I wouldn’t give up cooking because of a failed attempt, I shouldn’t give up easily in other areas of my life when I fall short.  Unfortunately, I see it happening too often in the lives of those with whom I come in contact.  They try for a new job and don’t get it, and they feel like a failure and give up.  They discipline their child and the end result is not what they were expecting, so they throw their hands up and let their son or daughter do whatever he or she wants.  They step out of their comfort zone to attempt something new for Christ and their actions are not met with rave reviews, so they resort to just being a “pew warmer”.

None of us like to fail at anything.  But our failures shouldn’t define us as a person.  We need to remember that it isn’t the failure that will destroy us but our attitude towards the failure.  I read this quote from Chuck Swindoll, “We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.” 

There is so much truth in these words.  Our attitude is key when we come up against a failure or life throws us a curveball.  Will we beat ourselves up or will we stand back up, dust ourselves off and resolve to try again?  Remember that Matthew 19:26 tells us, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Do you believe that today?  If so…make sure your focus stays on Him as you endeavor new and challenging opportunities that will help you grow to look more like Christ.  You just never know when one of these ventures will turn out to be a savory find!

Monday Morning Memo: Behind The Door

This week I’m sharing with you another devotional from my first book, Image Seeker, in which I wrote about a “moment” of time from when we were raising our children.  This particular story involves a young, blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy who did something that ended up making me ponder my own actions a little more in depth.  

Kids have a way of doing that, because I think sometimes, they are a mirror into our soul.  We see their child-like behaviors and if we are honest, we can at times mimic their actions in an adult way which has much more serious consequences.  At least this is what our son showed me…many years ago.

Just like last week, I’ve included questions at the end to ponder this coming week.  I hope you enjoy!

“Don’t keep looking at my sins.  Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you” (Psalm 51:9-12). 

Hidden Behind the Door

We remodeled our home when our son Adam was four years old.  Walls were coming down, rooms were being destroyed and our young son was in seventh heaven.  He would get up each morning, strap on his own tool belt and follow the contractors around throughout the day.  Nothing made him happier then when one of them would ask him to help with part of the project.  I’ll never forget the day that they asked him to help tear out a wall.  They gave him a hammer to use and told him to pound away with all of his might.  He was exuberant, watching pieces of drywall fall to the ground as he flailed away with his tool.

The problem was that we never told Adam that this was the only wall he was allowed to destroy.  In his young mind, if it was okay to take down one wall, it must be okay to take down another, and several days later, we discovered several holes in the wall in the hallway.  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who had done this destruction so we immediately found our young contractor to have a talk with him. Once we explained to him that there were only certain walls that would need his expertise in destruction, he promised us that he would never remodel on his own again!

You can imagine then how upset we were when a couple days later we discovered, to our horror, another hole in a wall. This time it wasn’t in the hallway where it could easily be seen, but we found it behind Adam’s door in his bedroom.  I’m sure our blood pressure had an immediate spike and probably smoke could be seen coming out of our ears as we called out for “Adam Daniel” to come immediately (our kids always knew if their middle name was included, they better not walk to where we were – they better run)!  We just couldn’t believe that he could disobey us so blatantly.  But our anger slowly dissolved, when he looked at us with his big blue eyes and said, “I made that hole before I made the ones in the hall!”   

As I reflect on this episode in our family, I wonder, since the first hole that Adam made was behind the door, if he really did know he wasn’t supposed to redecorate his wall with a hammer.  I have imagined what might have been going on is his young mind.  Maybe he made the first hole in a place where it wouldn’t be seen so easily and when he got away with that one, became bolder and thought he would see what happened if his artwork was more visible. 

I also wonder if that scenario comes to my mind because of the times I have done just what Adam did.  I’ve had times when I was tempted to do something that I knew was wrong, and I’ve given in to that temptation just enough to see if there were any consequences.  I lose my temper with my kids, snap at my husband, or gossip on the phone with a friend, but because it is behind the door of my home, I feel somewhat justified in my actions.  But the more times that I let this happen, the easier it is for me to behave this way outside the confines of my home.   At that point, I’m not only hurting those in my family, but I then cause destruction with those with whom I come in contact outside my home.  Unfortunately, it’s those hidden actions that often lead to more serious transgressions that end with even more sobering consequences.  I need to remember that when any of my actions don’t line up with God’s Word, it doesn’t matter whether anyone else finds out or not - my behavior can never be justified.

Adam is now grown and his interests have turned from construction work to business finance.  When we look back at pictures of those times, I sometimes yearn for those innocent days.  I’m so proud that he is my son and I love him for who he was back then and for who he is today.  And fortunately, it’s the same way with my Father in heaven.  He has loved me throughout my past and continues to love me now even during the times that I try to hide my actions “behind the door”.  I am still “under construction” as my Father in heaven continues to chip away those things in me that are not pleasing to Him.  It’s the knowledge that He loves me that much that makes me want to keep my actions and thoughts pure and be the child that He deserves.   

Image Seeker Prayer – “Father, forgive me for the times in my life when my actions aren’t ones that should be on display for others to see.  Keep me mindful that how I act and react affects others and should never have to be hidden ‘behind the door’!”

  

Questions to ponder this week:  

Is there anything in your life that you are doing “behind your door” that you don’t want others to see?  

If so, what is keeping you from turning it over to Christ?

Monday Morning Memo: Loosening Our Grip

This week I’m sharing with you another devotional from my first book, Image Seeker, in which I wrote about a “moment” of time from when we were raising our children.  I remember thinking the hardest days were when they were all young…but little did I know that as they grew older…God might ask more of them than I was willing to share.  

The details of this story pertain to our second daughter, where God led her to go for a year and how it sure kept me on my knees while she was gone.  His plan is not always what we would select for our children…but through it we are taught that His ways are perfect and that sometimes, we have to be willing to loosen our grip for His glory.  

Just like last week, I’ve included questions at the end to ponder this coming week.  I hope you enjoy!

“I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart” (Psalm 40:8).

Letting Go

Through most of our middle child’s high school days, she thought she would someday work in the field of music.  Megan is a pianist, self-taught guitarist, and shares her love of the Lord vocally.  It was just always a given that this was the field that she would explore.

But as Megan entered her senior year, her spirit became troubled.  She felt the Lord was telling her that music was not to be her vocation; yet she didn’t sense a strong leading into any other area.  She had a passion for missions and wondered if that was where the Lord was leading her.  Her youth pastor at the time knew of her struggle and invited her to go to a program at our local university where members of a group called “Mission Year” would be sharing.  Megan came home that day pumped and ready to send in her application.

Unfortunately, I didn’t share her excitement.  If she was accepted into this ministry, she would be living in the inner city of Atlanta, walking the streets by herself on a daily basis.  The thought of sending my beautiful 18-year-old daughter into those dangerous surroundings for a year wasn’t what I envisioned for her, and I began to argue with the Lord.  I wanted Him to understand that this was asking too much of her and of me to have her live and work in these precarious surroundings.

As I was struggling with all of this my husband, in his infinite wisdom, asked me to remember what we had done with each of our children after they were born.  He wanted me to think back to the times we stood in front of our church and dedicated each precious baby to the Lord.  We vowed to raise them in a Christian home, nurturing them and doing our best to prepare them to serve the Lord.   Dan asked me if we had put the stipulation in our vow that we would raise our children for the Lord as long as they stayed in our area where it was safe.  Of course we hadn’t; we had promised the Lord that we were dedicating them for His service wherever that may be.  

I began to loosen my grip and allowed Megan to serve where the Lord was calling her to go. That didn’t mean it was an easy year for any of us.  To complete her volunteer and ministry tasks, Megan walked the inner-city streets during the day, many times walking alone to and from houses in her community.  She was often in dangerous situations, being mistaken on several occasions as a prostitute, for, as she puts it, “drug dealers and prostitutes were the ones populating the streets during the day”.  She was yelled at, followed, and propositioned; but the Lord was so faithful.  In every situation, He protected her and got her to safety before she could be harmed.

The Lord not only protected her during that year, but He also blessed her abundantly for her faithfulness.  She had the privilege of forming relationships with many of her neighbors as she shared God’s love with them.  She developed courage that amazed me as she learned to put her complete trust in her Savior.  She learned the importance of being “Jesus with skin on” to many people that had never met her Lord.  And she truly learned that wherever God places you, He promises to be faithful and supply all of your needs! 

What are you holding onto that you need to loosen your grip?  Are you struggling with letting your children go or allowing yourself to follow His leading?  Remember that as Christians, everything we have is the Lord’s to use as He desires; we are just the caregivers.  What a privilege that is, and it is only when we surrender everything to the Lord and allow Him to have complete control that we can become more like Him! 

Image Seeker Prayer – “Father, thank You so much for allowing us to be a part of your plan.  Help us to loosen our grip on the persons or things that are keeping us from surrendering to your will, and then please hold our hand as we trust You even if we are called to unknown territory!”

Questions to ponder this week:  

Why do we desire to be in control of every aspect of our life?

What are you holding onto and not allowing the Lord complete control?  Is it your finances?  Your children?  Your marriage?  Your job?  Whatever it is, loosen your grip and give Him full reign so that you can become more like Him.