Category Archives: Christian Living

Perseverance: 6 Links and a Silly Song

Usually when responsibilities pile up and I feel overwhelmed, I burst into a plaintive quote from Dr. Seuss:

This mess is so big and so deep and so tall, I cannot clean it up, there is no way at all! (from The Cat in the Hat)

Last Saturday morning a couple of large household projects were weighing on my mind, and I tried to cheer myself up by turning it into a song:

MeSumo

Sumo, on my shoulders: I’m not happy.
Sumo, on my shoulders, makes me frown.
Sumo, on my shoulders, is so heavy,
Sumo, almost always, brings me down.

Sumo on my shouldersWith many apologies to the memory of John Denver, you can sing these words to the tune of “Sunshine on My Shoulder”. Indeed, that’s a much better song to sing, so go ahead. And no, I’m not embarking on a new career as an artist or a lyricist.

It’s true, though: things pile up in our minds and they do bring us down. And that’s not the way God wants us to live. I’ve been struggling with this lately, trying to be more faithful in my responsibilities without burning myself out. “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13, NLT*)” but I need to focus on one thing at a time and do that thing in His strength instead of on my own.

Sumo on my shoulders1

I believe God gives us enough hours in the day to do the things He intends us to do in that day. Sometimes I need to remind myself of that, to talk that Sumo off my shoulders. Lately I’ve found a lot of freedom in the Bible’s promise of wisdom for those who ask (see James 1:5 and my post “Is Your Loyalty Divided?“). God, I need wisdom to see what to do when, and to not think about the other stuff.

Here are six links I’ve found in the past few days that are helping me learn the lesson even better:

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[Linking with Janis Cox’s Wednesday’s Word: Perseverance]

The Choice to be Cheerful

Have you ever read accommodation reviews and wondered if the people actually stayed at the same spot? There’ll be a stack of 4- and 5-star reviews, and then some 1-stars. Raves about how great everything is, and rants about miserable service and conditions.

My husband and I read the usual gamut when picking an overnight spot for an impulse trip to Prince Edward Island. We decided that mixed reviews are mostly about what people look for. Some folks are never satisfied.

Prince Edward Island National Park

PEI National Park

PEI is maybe a four hour drive from our home, and My husband had never been there. I hadn’t been since I was a child. It was time.

Some would say it wasn’t quite the right time.

It was the Victoria Day long weekend* and time for those with cottages to consider opening up for the summer. I think most cottagers stayed home, because Atlantic Canada was cold that weekend. There was snow. I saw bits of hail.

Our lodging was designed for summer use. It was cold, and it stayed cold, although after a while we couldn’t see our breath.

Remembering the cranky reviewers, we stayed determinedly cheerful. Even when morning came with no hot water.

But I wondered if that was the final straw that would turn me into a grump. (And I wasn’t the one who discovered the hard way just how cold the water was!)

Most of us can handle a few irritations or troubles, but after a while we get tired of being patient and we think we’ve had enough. And I’ve often thought it seems like life piles on “just one more” until we crack.

The enemy of our souls would suggest we just start spewing at the first problem. “It’s inevitable.” Except it isn’t.

As I heated water in the kettle so I could wash, I realized it’s not about my choice to be positive. It’s about my reliance on—my confidence in—God as the one in control, my Shepherd, He who will look after me in any circumstance.

That’s the peace, not whether things are good or bad. That’s the source of contentment, not my decision to be cheerful (although that’s good too).

Our overnight stay turned out to be more “roughing it” than we’d planned, but it taught me something important: Be positive, but more than that, remember and trust in God.

Woodpecker

Woodpecker at the Anne of Green Gables heritage site

Because sometimes life stinks, and we can still have security and even joy in God. That’s what the Apostle Paul said: “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation… For I can do everything through Christ…” (Philippians 4:12-13, NLT)

And lest anyone feel sorry for us, we actually did have a delightful day once we got back on the road. We went to the beach (in jackets and hoods) to watch the waves and seabirds, saw two beautiful herons, strolled the grounds of the Anne of Green Gables heritage sites, walked quietly through a prayer garden, ate lobster burgers accompanied by some classic tunes from our younger years, indulged in some COWS ice cream… and my sweet husband bought me some birthday gifts. The day turned out to be the first of  50 good memories I’m to record in the journal he gave me the next day, on my actual birthday. Best birthday ever? I think so.

I’m so glad we didn’t let the cold ruin it. And I hope we get back to PEI when the normal tourists go, in the summer when it’s warm!

§

*Yes, Canada appears to be the only country where Queen Victoria’s birthday is a national holiday. No, I don’t personally care about her birthday. Yes, I would consider renaming it. But let there be no talk of us losing a statutory holiday.

What’s the key ingredient of prayer?

The best part of prayer is the human soul’s communion with the Divine Presence, and that usually happens when we stop talking and rest in Him. Listening. Abiding. Worshiping.

Of all the words we offer in prayer, most of them fall into the ACTS categories:

  • Adoration
  • Confession
  • Thanksgiving
  • Struggles/Surrender (traditionally Supplication)

All are important, all have their place, and individuals may be called more to one area than the others. We need them all.

But I suspect the single-most important ingredient is adoration.

When we quiet ourselves before God and concentrate on Him: His character, attributes, will, purposes, His activity in our lives, something changes inside us. In the stillness, the peace, we find a gateway into the rest of what we need to say to God and to listening to what He has to say to us.

Adoration sets the tone.

God is exalted in our prayer, and this leads to each of the other areas: confession, thanksgiving, and requests for His help. It also strengthens our faith as we remind ourselves Who this God really is.

If time is short and I slip into just praying for needs, especially if those needs are overwhelming, I start wearing them like a burden. My perspective skews, and they look even bigger than they are. I lose hope, even while continuing to plead for God’s intervention.

Those are more wishes than prayers.

Grounding myself first in God keeps intercession true, because no matter how big the issue, I’m secure in the knowledge that God is bigger and that He has a loving plan. It reminds me that even when life is tough, God is tougher.

Prism rainbow with prayer quoteRelated articles

Where Do We Focus?

As an example of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus told the story of a shepherd who left 99 sheep and went in search of the one that was missing. It’s not that the wayward sheep was more valuable than the rest, but the man was responsible for them all and didn’t want any to be lost. At that moment, the need of the one was more urgent than the need of the many.

The shepherd made the right choice, to focus on the one.

Sometimes we don’t choose as wisely.

There can be 99 good things in our lives, and one negative, and how often do we focus on the one?

The failure. The fear. The imperfection.

One thing takes on more importance than 99 others and tips us from gratitude to despair.

It may be an area of weakness where God would like to make us stronger: a temptation we need to resist, or a responsibility we haven’t been meeting very well. Something we need to acknowledge and then prayerfully cooperate with God as He continues shaping us into the reflection of His Son.

God brings it to our attention to help us. The enemy of our souls points, mocks, accuses and demeans. We know which voice is healthy, but too often we listen to (and agree with) the poison.

Or maybe the “one thing” is something we can’t control or change: our smile, our shape, the pitch of our voice. Something we think makes us less than we long to be.

The Bible says we’re God’s handiwork and that His “workmanship is marvellous.” Our enemy says we’re defective. And fear makes us believe the liar over the Lover.

You are not defective. You’re designed by the Creator of the universe, and He loves you. (Click to tweet this.)

In the good things and in the bad, we need to keep our focus on the God who rescues and restores. Let’s remember His power and His character, and trust His plans for our lives. Let’s learn to walk in His strength and to recognize and reject the lies of our enemy.

Cloudy thoughts block the Light

Photo credit: Janet Sketchley

Parented by God

My best mornings begin with a special time alone with God. When my children were small, desperation had me setting my alarm early enough to fortify my spirit before facing the breakfast chaos.

In the shelter of my bed (sitting up to keep awake) I’d enjoy a quiet time with the Lord. It was like a spiritual snuggle with my Divine Parent before I faced my own parenting role.

The Bible has so many images of the parental aspects of God’s heart. One particular morning, I was thinking about Him as “Father to the fatherless.”

I’d grown up in a loving home and my parents lived nearby. By this point I was in my mid-thirties (a few years ago now!) with a husband and children of my own. I had grown up.

But part of me often felt like an orphaned child. That morning I poured out my fears and loneliness to Him in prayer. Abba… Papa… help me to stay in the shelter of Your care. Grow me under Your watchful eye.

After a while, I felt in my heart that it was time to get up. Lord, I sense our time together is over now….

I meant it as clarification: was I really supposed to get up? I hadn’t opened my Bible or paused to listen for His leading. I’d done all the talking. Again.

A gentle reassurance interrupted me: Oh, no… we’ve just begun.

His message, inaudible but understood, resonated in my soul.

What followed was the mental equivalent of that little scoot a parent gives a toddler to send her out to play after a hug. Warmed by His love, I scooted.

Rainbow: be still and trust God

Instead of Asking God “Why?”

question markOne of the first things we do when tragedy hits or when things go wrong is to ask God “Why?”

God welcomes honest questions, “why?” included, although I’m sure He’d prefer a trusting, hurt-filled tone than an angry, demanding one. Either way, I believe He’d rather have us talking to Him than trying to freeze Him out. After all, dialogue goes two ways and we might hear His response.

My community is still processing a recent teen suicide. And internationally, North Americans are shocked by the Boston Marathon bombings.

“Why?” is a valid question, and it predates Job. But there are healthier questions to ask as well:

  • Who

    • are You, God?
    • do You say I am?
    • have You put in my day to encourage or bless?

  • What

    • are You saying to me?
    • do You want to show me?
    • do You want to do in or through me?

  • Where

    • can I join You in what You’re doing?
    • are You leading me?
    • are You revealing Yourself?

  • When

    • You come back, will I be found ready?
    • You speak, help me hear and obey.
    • You want me to wait in quiet, help me be patient.

  • How

    • can I best show love to those around me?
    • can I get to know You better?
    • can I best use the time in each day?

Turns out, “When?” is pretty contentious too. In general, we’re better to bring God those things we don’t understand and our impatience for things delayed, to leave them with Him in trust, and to ask questions that leave us open to God’s direction.

If you’re struggling with this, please click over and read Ann Voskamp’s beautiful post, 3 Things to Hold Onto in a World Falling Apart (aholyexperience.com)

Wonder: 4 links + an assignment

It was almost a year ago at Write! Canada that God challenged me to open my eyes and see with wonder–a lesson I too quickly forgot! He’s been reminding me again, and it’s finally time to read my copy of Margaret Feinberg’s Wonderstruck that’s been waiting since Christmas. Part of the reminder came through some blog posts that I encourage you to read if you’re at all in need of a wonder-attitude-enthusiasm infusion.

At Hello God, Welcome to My Classroom, Linden Barrick muses on how rarely we encounter something special that brightens our spirits, when there are special touches in every day. [Read Where is My Enthusiasm]

Jon Rouse encourages us to learn to live each day aware of God’s presence and of the good things around us. [Read Life So Aware]

At Magellan Life Coaching, Reba J. Hoffman looks beyond the “glass half-empty or half-full” and urges us to enjoy the water. [Read Drink What’s There]

And author Grace Fox calls us to see again with childlike wonder. [Read Rediscovering the Wonder of Creation]

Those were the four links. Here’s the assignment:

Dandelion
Take a minute, or two, or three… what do you see in this photo? Really see? Yes, there’s a dandelion, and weed or no, it’s kind of pretty. See the delicate white blossoms on what’s probably another weed? Take a look at the grass (and weed leaves!) How many different types of leaves are there? How many different shades of green?

There is wonder all around us, my friends.  The universe is practically dripping with it. Wonder and the glory of God. May He open our eyes to see and our hearts to receive. Have a wonder-full day!

Songs of Home

Before Canadian East Coast music hit the national/international scene, we locals had been enjoying it for years. I remember sitting in a small auditorium, feeling the power of the audience singing along to “We Are an Island.”

The song is Cape Breton Island’s unofficial anthem. Cape Breton is a large, beautiful island on the north-eastern tip of Nova Scotia, and many of its sons and daughters have “gone down the road” to find employment. Like the other Atlantic Canadians, they’ve taken their music with them.

Singing along, caught up in the longing for home even though I was home, I found myself wishing for my own musical links. Yes, Nova Scotia has its own unofficial anthems but lovely as they are, they don’t resonate that way with me. And I’m blessed to be still living in my native province.

Songs of home implies the love and longing for a place we can’t yet be. Like the East Coast music to a displaced Maritimer or Newfoundlander. Like the songs the Israelites sang in the Babylonian captivity.

Not that I ever wanted to be exiled or homesick! But when you listen to the songs, there’s a sense of unity, of belonging. A sense of something bigger than the individual.

Years later, I know I’ve found my songs of home, and they’re everything I thought they’d be.

I’ve stood in crowds of concertgoers, united in our longing for God, singing worship songs led by the Newsboys, Robin Mark, Steven Curtis Chapman, David Crowder. I’ve stood in smaller congregations on Sunday mornings, singing songs of home led by worship teams or solo musicians. And I’ve sung along to my mp3 player when only God was listening.

What are some of your songs of home?

A Song on Good Friday

Without the Cross, there’s no salvation. No hope. But it’s hard to think about what the Son of God endured for you and me that day.

Jesus Christ. God’s Son. Our Saviour.

Not a victim. The fulfillment of prophecy. A daring Rescuer.

This song from Todd Agnew helps me process what Good Friday means to me: “Blood on My Hands.” [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuNc9iXxRfg]

4 Links to Get us Motivated

Can we make a difference? Sometimes the task looks too big. Here are four posts I’ve found really helpful:

When the requirements look like more than we can possibly meet, Bobbi Junior reminds us that God doesn’t ask for perfection–He asks for obedience. Read Obedience versus Excellence.

At Chatting at the Sky, Emily Freeman identifies one thing we’re waiting for (and why it’s time to stop). Follow the link to see what’s holding us back.

At Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts writes:  “Most things that matter are way too big for little me. But it’s not my job to make them happen.” What is our job? Read the full post: When it’s Hard to Get Going.

Sometimes it’s not that task is so  huge, it’s the number of things calling for our attention.  For those times, Mary Waind at Beech Croft Tales has some good words on Focus.