Tag: God’s love

Thoughts on a tragedy

A young mom, much younger than me, died. Her oldest daughter and my youngest were in the same class years ago. Cancer took this beautiful young mom away from her three young kids.

I thought to myself, if this was me what would I want my kids to know? What would I want to leave them?

Thankfully, my kids are much older and I’ve had many years to teach, love and encourage them. But what would I have said to them when they were young, if I knew I was going to leave them on their own?

I thought about this long and hard. What jewels of wisdom could I bestow?

After a bit I realized it was the same message that I settled on as my parenting goal. Years ago, I decided the message I most wanted my kids to learn was the importance of knowing and loving God. Followed closely by the awareness of how much He loves them. The first message was most important to me. I wanted them to understand that this is a choice and an action they can take. The second, God’s love – it is there regardless of what they choose. It is a given!

All the advice I could muster was subservient to this message. Love God and know He loves you.

For my part I mourn for this lost life and for her family that has to face life without her.

Psalm 34:11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

How to do it

I am a practical person. Whenever I seek advice or help, I always ask, ‘What does that look like?’ or ‘How exactly do I do that?’

In life I have been asked, on more than one occasion, to step out in faith and trust that God will look after my future. Sometimes the path forward has been clearer than others.

Recently we have been in a situation where we took a big step off the cliff and believed that God will answer our prayers. At this point it looks like He has a different answer in mind. It can make me feel like he isn’t willing to catch us this time. That he isn’t answering our prayers.

Regardless of my feelings about it I know he is sovereign. How do I maintain my faith and belief in God’s goodness when things seem to be going off the rails. I don’t mean what encouragement do I gather, or how do I intellectually process it, but rather how do I do it?

It came to me late last night. God gave us an example of what to do. He provided a model.

Matthew 26: 36-39 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 

Our people

My Grandma told me once how she loved the people from her home community. No matter what they did she loved them. She told me of a neighbour who was a horse thief. Everyone in the area knew it. If your horse went missing, the first stop was always to his farm to see if he had it. Usually he did have the stolen horse. The community folk would go collect their horse and be on their way.

She laughed as she recalled this. Then she paused and looking at me with her beautiful pale blue eyes, she clasped her hands and leaned forward, as though to drive the point home. “You see, they are my people.”

We all need people. We need to love our people and walk with our people.

Have we lost this? Perhaps we lost it before the dreaded virus landed in our world.

Love is not a feeling or an instinct. Love is a job. A job with easy days and tough days. But a job nonetheless.

Together lets love our people.

1 Peter 4: 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers
over a multitude of sins.

God loves me and you too

Every now and again God gives us an experience, the kind of moment that we hold in our heart and treasure. A glorious sunset, a drive home with tired kids, welcome in a gracious and giving home, a look of love from our spouse, a gentle breeze on a hot day, the list could go on.

Joy, hope and love are found in these moments. Like a beautiful sound track to a movie, they give unspoken sound to our hearts. Like jewels in our mind, glistening just out of reach and yet bouncing light everywhere.

These are the moments when I feel closest to God. Those moments when he uses other humans to help me feel His love.

God be with you today and may you feel the joy and peace of knowing that he sees you, regardless of what sorrow today may bring.

By grace alone

The little girl sat with her grandfather on the front porch of the old faded house. He rocked in the rocking chair while she sat on the step kicking at the dirt path that led to the house.

Why don’t we have what other people have Grandpa?” she asked. The young girl lived with her Grandparents and had since she was very young.

“Oh, what do you mean by that?” he asked as he rocked back and forth.

“The homes I pass when I walk to school, they are so large and have such beautiful lawns and cars,” she explained.

“Oh, I see,” he said rocking. “Well, when I was a boy I had to use that old outhouse behind the house. God saw fit that we have modern plumbing.”

“I don’t mean that, why does God give them big shiny things, and we just have the ordinary things?” she asked somewhat exasperated.

The old man was silent a long time. The young girl waited her face cast down as she waited for his answer. “I guess that is just the way life is.” She smirked downward not satisfied with the answer.

“Can you see through the door to where your Grandma is working in the kitchen?”‘ the old man asked.

“Yes.”

“What is on the wall behind your Grandma?”

“That old carving your father made,” she answered. “You told me he made it for you as a wedding present.

“Yes,” the old man smiled. “Such a touching gift. It’s my favourite thing in the world, beside you and your Grandma, of course,” chuckled the old man.

“What did my father so carefully carve for me?” he asked.

“Jesus on the cross,” she said.

“Ahhh,” said the old man. “Do you know why that old wooden cross is my greatest possession?”

“Cause your dad gave it to you and he’s dead now,” said the little girl.

“Yes, of course, but more than that.” The old man stopped rocking and put his head back and closed his eyes. “When my father gave it to me, he told me to remember that no matter what gifts and blessings I could gain on earth none of it will compare to the gift Jesus gave us.”

The little girl looked a bit puzzled.

“I may not have treasures here, but I have what I need. God has looked after us, look he brought us you, such a joy for your Grandma and me. But, he has saved the best gift of all. I believe Jesus died for me and all the glories of heaven will be mine one day.”

The little girl nodded. Not able to fully understand, but aware that somehow they were richer here in their little home than many of the people in their enormous mansions were.

The old man smiled as a tear rolled down his face.

James 1: 9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.

Remember

I remember getting the seed catalogue. Pouring over its pages and dreaming about all the potential, while the snow lay thick on the ground. My thoughts catapulted to spring for a few short moments, while the pages lay open on my lap. I could forget the frozen world around me and recall that beneath it lay the promise of spring.

But I have other memories too. A long list. I store them and sort them, like the seed catalogue. I’m digging in my past for the promises buried there, like the bulbs below the layer of snow. The times God saw me through difficulty. When I felt helpless and he offered aid. Memories from the annals of my life.

There is enough there to give me courage, if I take time to read through them. Like the Seed catalogue this internal list offers hope as I sift through my memories. My past offering hope to my now, like a flower full with blooms in the summer.

I sit and I remember what God has done.

Psalm 77: 11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes,
I will remember your miracles of long ago.

Take courage in His love

Some days I feel down in the mouth. I feel upset and nothing goes my way. The little problems are mountains. What should I do when I feel this way?

I can replace my own negative and myopic self talk with scriptures. I can fill my head with the glory of God. Doing this doesn’t make me less pathetic or sinful, it just ensures I remember that I am loved.

Sometimes we all need to remember this. The worst of humans have access to God’s grace. Even when we are sure of our failures and certain of our hopelessness God can reach us. Because our place in his kingdom is not a product of our goodness but His holiness. God loves me not because I am lovable but because He is love.

When your inner voice tells you that you are unworthy say back, “Yes, but God is worthy.”

When your inner voice says you are a failure reply, “Yes, but God is not.”

When your inner voice reminds you how unlovable you are answer, “So true, but God IS love.”

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The secret garden

There is a secret garden. A small space forgotten by time and the race of humanity.

The narrowest of paths leads to its unknown location. This path is rugged. This path is lined with thorns and branches. But if we persevere it leads to the narrowest of gates. A rusty, creaky hard to open gate. Behind this narrow gate, enclosed in tall walls is the most unexpected place. A garden.

It’s not the showy beauty of a cultivated garden. There is nothing civilized about it. It is wild and untamed. It is frightening in its chaotic order. It seems untouched by human hands. Nothing there seems planned and yet it was planted by someone or it wouldn’t be within the walls.

The array of flowers is surprising and unlike anything we could imagine. Our imagination being confined to what we already know, what we can see in our own minds eye. This garden is not the product of human ingenuity and labour. It is created by a mind far greater in scope.

No detail is missed. Every provision for every songbird is here. Every tree for afternoon shade grows by plan. The garden seems limitless once you pass through the gate and dwell inside the grey walls that surround it.

But above all else there is a peace. A quiet rest in the safety of the great walls. Visitors are now wrapped up in the same secret hiddenness of the garden itself. The burdens of the world lifted from our troubled hearts.

This is what our lives are like when we trust God. We walk the narrow, dark and dangerous path that he bids us take. Our future with Him is beyond what we can comprehend. And the peace of His love will wrap our burdened souls.

Matthew 7: 13 – 14   “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and
broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

The joy of parenting

I was not a “baby” mom. I didn’t really enjoy the baby stage. But when my kids hit the age of eighteen months or so, I started to hit my stride. I would say, “I enjoyed my kids before, but I really love the stage we are in now.” After a while I noticed the pattern. Each “stage” seemed better than the last.

I kept waiting for the hard years to hit. Not that there weren’t hard times. Six years of forcing my son to go to school wasn’t easy, but on the scale of problems that was not tragic. Of course we had lots of medical issues, but as that was not under my control I didn’t see it as a parenting issue.

Parenting is hard, specially if you are trying your best to do it well. We will all have difficult problems and hard days. But for the most part we were able to find joy in the moments. We have always laughed a lot as a family, and I think that helps.

As our kids age, I often feel overwhelmed by the joy they bring to our lives. To see them flex into the world, develop, and become the people God designed them to be is my great privilege. I think of parenting like gardening. You plant the seeds, you work the soil, you wait, you water, you try clear the weeds, you guide them as they grow, but for the most part you leave it up to God.

I am extremely grateful to God that he has spared us the pain of that comes with a rebellious child. I have witnessed this pain and I am keenly aware of the blessing we have been given. These three children, I mean growing teens, are our richest blessing and we are very thankful for them.

3 John 1: 4  I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children are walking in the truth.

Children of light

It can be hard to bring kids up in this world. They are constantly barraged by images, ideas and teachings that are counter to what we want for them as parents. I talk with my children a lot about who we are and how we are to live. I impress upon them the idea that we are different; set apart. We belong to God’s Kingdom.

While I want them to recognize to whom they belong, I also don’t want them to feel isolated and alone.

It can be hard to express this idea to children. So, one day I told them a story.

God is in heaven looking down at us. He sees the pain and hardship in the world. He sees the sin. But he also sees us. He sees the people who love Him.

Elijah thought he was all alone. He complained to God that he was the only faithful servant left. The whole of Israel had turned to the god Baal. God told him there were seven thousand in Israel that He reserved. Seven thousand who had not bent the knee to Baal.

God can see his people. He recognises them even when we don’t.

God looks down and sees a light. A soul that he recognizes as His. Now God wants for all souls to belong to Him, but He gives us the choice.

We choose Him. As a result, He looks down and sees our house. In that house there are five lights. Lights for His kingdom.

But that’s not all He sees. He can see the other people who also choose Him. People we know and love. People we’ve never met. He looks down at our city and He sees lights shining like dots across the city. I imagine it looks to Him like the stars look to us when we gaze up at night.

Perhaps this was a bit fanciful for a serious message, but I wanted my children to have a visual they could hold onto. I wanted them to think of God when they saw the stars.

Ephesians 5: 8-10 – For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.