God is in control – Roberta Writes

Surprises

I was planning to get into my garden and weed and maybe even plant some carrots this week. I didn’t have time last week. But mother nature had other plans. Late snow for Calgary.

Life is like this. We plan, things change, we adjust and we move forward. If you sit down and contemplate how little control we actually have over what happens, it can be overwhelming and a bit frightening.

That is how believing there is a God behind it all offers us hope. Not a vengeful, wrathful God, but a loving God. For me personally the idea that some good can come out of terrible experiences, or even some order can emerge from the chaos, is a hopeful thought.

The garden will come, whether I weed on schedule or not. I’m just enjoying the time to sit back and reflect and wonder at the blessings God has gifted me.

Romans 8: 26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Renewal is hard

I am sitting here listening to an instrumental version of the beautiful song “Breath of Heaven.” It is lovely to hear but it got thinking… this is sometimes how I see renewal. I ask God to renew my spirit and I sit and wait for the Holy spirit to pour over me and renew me. Maybe this happens to some people. Not me.

As anyone who has lived through a renovation can tell you it is a messy business. Everything is dusty, ripped apart and nothing works. On top of that the rebuild can seem to be endless. When you are living without a sink the wait for cabinets, carpenters, counters, plumbers, tile setters etc., can seem endless. And the outcome only seems to be increased visits to the chiropractor, to deal with the strain caused by doing dishes in the bathtub.

It is hard. Waiting and wading through mess. This is what renewal is like. The hard work of dealing with our old toxic habits or beliefs while allowing God to slowly rebuild our inner framework.

Maybe the breath of God blew over you and in a moment you gave your life to him, but you still have a lot of work to do, albeit now with the help of God.

If we ask God to renew us we need to be prepared for some difficulties. But it is worth it. Any suffering, hardship, rethinking or change of life if worth it if it brings us closer to God.

James 4: 7 – 10 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Before renewal

Before we can undergo a renewal, a few things have to happen. If you want to improve an old home you can add new flooring and give it a fresh coat of paint. But have you actually improved the building or have you just “put lipstick on a pig,” as the saying goes.

If you want to improve an old house you have to inspect it and find the flaws. Maybe there is a lack of insulation (our old home would have been warmer through this cold snap if we had better insulation. Maybe it’s a crack in the foundation. The builder must inspect and find the defects. These problems should be fixed. Then, when the new paint goes on it represents the improved state of the home.

In the Old Testament, Malachi refers to the ‘refiner’s fire’ in this way; “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.” (Malachi 3:3) The idea of burning off the impurities and extracting the best parts of the metal.

Hard times suck. Plain and simple. But we need to have difficulties and trials, we need to have our sins and defects burned off and allow the glory of Jesus to emerge. It’s like the old hymn that starts, “All of self and none of thee.” And through the verses it progresses to the final verse saying, “None of self and all of thee.”

The aim of renewal isn’t to emerge from the ashes as a better and stronger version of ourselves. But rather to emerge from our struggles and trials as a stronger reflection of Jesus. His glory is the aim not our own. The old saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” should actually be “What doesn’t kill you makes Jesus more visible in your life.” It is not as catchy for sure, but to me that is the ideal.

I do fall short! I know. But this is the aim.

Ephesians 4: 22 – 24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

The irony of fall

Fall has always been a time of renewal for me. A time for a fresh start. Perhaps after years of starting school in September it seems like a natural new start time. We even got married in the fall. Two of my babies were born in the fall. We bought this house in the fall. I have started new jobs in the fall.

The season of change where nature prepares itself for the oncoming winter shouldn’t be associated with newness. And yet it is. The leaves aren’t turning yet and the weather is still pleasantly warm. My garden is still growing. Summer is lingering on. But, there is a change to the way the air smells (minus the smoke – cough cough). The evenings are getting shorter. Before long the harvest will be in and the leaves will be crunching under our feet.

For the first time since Wes’ stroke I feel as though we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It has been an extremely difficult time wandering lost in the wilderness. I hope now that this fall ushers in a time of renewal and rebuilding.

In the same way as a renovated kitchen has to follow the demolition of the old one, so do we have to undergo times of great trial and sorrow in order to be built up stronger.

I pray that fall will be a time of refocusing and renewal in your heart and life.

Psalm 51: 10 – 12 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Knock at the door

I listened to a podcast the other day. A lawyer was explaining how he got involved in a certain case. He said how a group of women followed him around and continued to badger him until they took their information seriously. I laughed because it was exactly what Jesus described in Luke.

The issue these women were carrying was greater than their concern for their reputation. Most times when someone brushes a person off, they retreat and give up. These women had a passion for what they were doing and they weren’t going to be brushed off. Their need outstripped all other concerns.

We see this as being about persistence. But it’s about more than mere persistence. It is about being so convicted in what you are asking for that you continue to knock, driven by your need for a result. If only we recognized our own need for God in this way. If only we pursued Him the way we pursue wealth or comfort. After all, we need salvation more than anything else.

Luke 11: 5-10 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Who do we trust?

These are confusing times. Everyone has an opinion about how we should behave and what we should believe. I find the most critical of my Christian faith are people who don’t share it. Criticisms like “you aren’t doing it correctly,” or “if you do this you are a hypocrite” are everywhere. The media, the school, our friends and often even family.

How do we even stand a chance of doing what God wants? The messages are so convoluted and confusing.

Thankfully he left us His word. Not only the Bible but the example of His son, who is the way the truth and the life.

The world will press in on us and try to mold us in their image. We fight this by immersing ourselves in the teachings of the Bible and Jesus.

Jesus taught us what to do. Our first job is to learn to discern what good fruit is. Once we know this we have the tools we need to then judge the fruit of others and will allow ourselves to be influenced by those who bear good fruit.

Matthew 7: 15 – 20 Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Rely on His strength

I’m listening to old hymns, just instrumental, but the lyrics are so well known that my heart sings them along with the music. “This is my father’s world” the tune flowing through me.

Life’s struggles can mount up. The craziness and unpredictability of the world is frightening.

It is easy to feel alienated from the world around us. Like someone watching a strange improvised play where the actors have no idea they are acting.

The weight of the world can feel unbearable. Stop. Breath. Remember this is God’s world.

Isaiah 40: 29-31 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

The sweetness of memory

I am sometimes overwhelmed by the cares of the world. We live in dark days. The last thing I need to do when my own struggles are great is to add the world’s issues to the pile.

Old hymns, from my childhood, come to mind. One particular hymn is rolling around in my head today. I found this lovely version of it and thought I’d share.

What I truly wish I could share is the version that plays in my mind. The song sung by a congregation on a Sunday morning. My grandma humming softly and nodding. Her beautiful clear blue eyes looking down as she smiles with assurance of a person who has walked with God through her life. Just the other side of her is the voice of my grandpa, booming out the baseline; more oompaapaa than opera. But his voice has the strong confidence of singing what he believes.

This is the most beautiful version of this song. My heart warms as I play it over in my mind. Not only are the words a comfort, but so is the connection with a faith that goes back years into my history. The memory of these two people who changed my life and gave me a gift I can never repay. I count their memory among my greatest joys.

So today, let this song play in your mind. I am sure that you also have rich memories. Let these thoughts speak peace and joy into your life. Together we can remember that God is greater than all the trouble in the world.

Who can we trust?

I don’t remember a time, in my half century of life, with more chaos and confusion. It is hard to know what to believe or who to trust. It can feel like I am struggling to find footing.

If I focus closer to home, I feel less dizzy. The world may be crazy, but I am constantly amazed by the maturity of my children. I’m thankful for my husband and his consistent positive attitude. We have food and we have shelter. God is providing for us.

Several years ago, I was talking with a friend who was distressed that we are watching the implosion of the Western world. She was particularly concerned that like Rome, and other empires before, the American empire seems to be crumbling.

It was during this discussion that I realized that even though the Roman empire fell, Rome and Italy still exist. The people carried on and life moved forward. While the affairs of the powerful ebb and flow the life of the average person continues on.

It helps us carry on and find hope if we remember that we are part of a great Kingdom, greater than any earthly empire. The God we worship does not change or evolve or disappear – we can count on Him. In a world of whirling deceit, He is the truth.

We can hold on to the unchanging God and his son. His son who died for us.

Hebrews 13: 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

It’s a dog’s life

I like having my dog around. I love having him come snuggle up for cuddles. Or even follow me around harassing me to take him for a walk. But the best thing is that he is a reminder of what it is to live in the moment.

How much of my life is spent worrying about problems over which I have no control? Or fretting about what might or might not happen tomorrow?

I can get so obsessed with worry that I forget to sit in the sun and enjoy its rays. Or I fail to greet the people I love with an enthusiasm that shows how much I value them. Or I forget to take time to snuggle up with loved ones and pet their bellies. Wait! No – not that one. But maybe I could hug my loved ones more often.

I could learn to be more trusting, like my dog. He doesn’t wonder or worry where his food comes from, he knows his master will provide.

A dog lives now. Not tomorrow, not in the past. Now.

1 Peter 5: 6-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.