I’m still reading my way through Mark. And I read yesterday about Jesus feeding the 5,000 (Mark 6:30-44). But this post is not about the miracle itself. These past several weeks, the message for me in God’s Word seems to be, “Look at the details I’ve included in here.”
Verse 37 struck me. “But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’” Jesus had just been teaching a crowd of 5,000 men, not counting women and children. It was getting late and the disciples began to worry because no one had eaten. And they would have to go into the surrounding villages to find food.
So they approached Jesus and suggested that He “wind down the sermon” so the crowd could go and get food. And Jesus told them to feed the crowd! I can understand why the disciples got a little feisty with Him sometimes. They were looking at the impossibility of a task they were unprepared for.
Once again, I’m looking at the story through hindsight glasses. And I see Jesus manage to feed probably at least 8,000 people including the women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fish – we don’t know how, but it’s conceivable that the food multiplied right in His hands! So it’s easy for me to get impatient with the apostles failure to trust Him.
But I also have to think, what was Jesus going for here? What did He really want them to do? Is it possible that they missed out on participating in a miracle themselves because they lacked faith?
There’s a bumper sticker than says, “Hang on…I’m going to try something.” Truth is, that could be the slogan for every one of us as believers. Because we have the power at our disposal. We should all be going through life with crash helmets and seat belts!
So what exactly did Jesus expect from them? They could certainly have immediately asked God to provide for the people. Who knows how He would have answered that prayer!
We get all hung up on feeling powerless and unable to help. I have a bad habit of saying, “I can’t do anything to help but I can pray.” I’ve got it backwards. I can pray and then everything becomes possible!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
What Do You Do with a General...
When my friend heard about my fascination with Hank Azaria, she told me about a strange and funny movie, “Mystery Men”, where everyday men use everyday objects to become like superheroes. Although with a different slant, “The Incredibles”, offers the same take on the desire to rid the world of evil. They are superheroes who are past their prime, unappreciated and misrepresented. They lurk around at night listening to the police scanners in the hope that they can still sneak in and fight crime.
Even the sweet general in White Christmas faced the same issues. He was trying to get back into service. The song said, “What do you do with a general when he stops being a general?” He found himself spending the days waiting for the mailman and wishing to be useful.
Though we’ll never stop being parents, we do lose the “superpowers” we had when our children were babies and toddlers. At one point we made the world all right - better than all right - with a bottle, a trip to Chuck E Cheese or an ice cream cone. We had all the right answers and we were watched and copied by our little ones.
Somehow as the years pass, we lose our edge. Bullying at school becomes an issue that we can’t fix with a band-aid. We have an uneasy feeling about our teenager’s friends but we can’t follow them around constantly. Our adult children become strangers and we are no longer the people whose opinions they seek.
Inside we still yearn to help, to guide, to make it all right. Of course prayer is the answer. It always is. But when our kids are grown and we are out-of-work “superheroes”, must we just accept that it was fun and fulfilling while it lasted? Is it possible that maybe we can start the whole process over? You’ll be so relieved to learn that it doesn’t involve having another whole set of kids!
All we have to do is get involved in another life, be available to listen, to comfort and to share ourselves. Develop a level of trust and watch a super-friendship grow. Now if they’ll just quit using spandex in the uniform!
Even the sweet general in White Christmas faced the same issues. He was trying to get back into service. The song said, “What do you do with a general when he stops being a general?” He found himself spending the days waiting for the mailman and wishing to be useful.
Though we’ll never stop being parents, we do lose the “superpowers” we had when our children were babies and toddlers. At one point we made the world all right - better than all right - with a bottle, a trip to Chuck E Cheese or an ice cream cone. We had all the right answers and we were watched and copied by our little ones.
Somehow as the years pass, we lose our edge. Bullying at school becomes an issue that we can’t fix with a band-aid. We have an uneasy feeling about our teenager’s friends but we can’t follow them around constantly. Our adult children become strangers and we are no longer the people whose opinions they seek.
Inside we still yearn to help, to guide, to make it all right. Of course prayer is the answer. It always is. But when our kids are grown and we are out-of-work “superheroes”, must we just accept that it was fun and fulfilling while it lasted? Is it possible that maybe we can start the whole process over? You’ll be so relieved to learn that it doesn’t involve having another whole set of kids!
All we have to do is get involved in another life, be available to listen, to comfort and to share ourselves. Develop a level of trust and watch a super-friendship grow. Now if they’ll just quit using spandex in the uniform!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Steady in the Heights
My iGoogle pops up every morning with three headline tabs – World News, National News, and the all-important Entertainment News. I also have weather for Manning, South Carolina and Woodbridge, Virginia. At the bottom, fish and turtles swim around waiting for food and a little hamster runs on his wheel when I’m not feeding him.
And I have Bible Gateway’s Verse of the Day to assuage any guilt I have about checking on news before having my quiet time with God. I do have to expand the box to see the scripture. Today I was sitting down to do my Bible study and I ran a quick check to see how the world was doing. I noticed the verse was Habakkuk 3:19, which rang a bell with me. I thought I should really just go ahead and look it up in my Bible; but in the time it would take for me to actually find Habakkuk, I could click on the plus sign and have the verse read. So I did.
So I thought, great idea for a blog! I’ll just google and find out some cool stuff about deer who live on the heights. To begin with, be careful what you google because you can get some pretty gross deer-hunting pictures. And finding deer who actually live on the heights was a challenge! There were plenty of sheep and goats, but the Word said “deer.”
Then I stumbled across the Siberian Musk Deer. Because it eats vegetation, it primarily lives in the forests of Russian Siberia. However, when it is in danger, it runs to rock outcrops.
It’s great to be in the forest and feeling comfortable and nourished, content and safe, isn’t it? But we seem to spend so much of our time on the ledges and rocks! What a comfort that God clears our path, steadies our feet and makes us safe. How amazing that we feel secure in the heights where it’s thrilling and dangerous at the same time!
Psalms 27:5
For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sometimes a Snake Is Just a Snake
In case you’re curious about this one, where it came from, I just saw a stick out of my peripheral vision. Not to sound overly paranoid, a stick is something you pay attention to if it appears on your patio in the heat of a South Carolina summer. However, it still has not moved and appears to have bark, so I’m safe for now.
It must be a sign! How many times do I say that in a week? Jumping onto the supernatural bandwagon and overanalyzing are two of my worst habits. Perhaps the combination is a good one. I usually read way too much into things that happen; but the overanalyzing brings me back into focus.
If I see two deer on the side of the road (and manage not to hit one of them), I assume it’s God sending me a hug. (Actually, I still believe that is usually the case.) But if I’m on a highway and they’re on a corner, do I really need to question whether that’s a turn God wants me to make, that there’s something waiting for me to do down that road? Probably not.
Steve and I were looking for a house in Virginia. I became convinced that we belonged in a particular house simply because there was a copy of “Pride and Prejudice” lying on an upstairs hall table. Never mind that Steve just didn’t like the house. I loved the book and so it must be our house.
So when I saw a snake on the day Mom died, I knew there was some deep, dark message involved.
In order not to sound at all callous about my mother whom I dearly love, let me preface with some information. She had a wicked sense of humor – dry, to the point, and in your face brutal. I loved it. So when she died on a Halloween morning, I called it her last joke. Her saying to me, “Just try to forget me now!” We were so close and yet, my grieving for her didn’t start for a few weeks because I was filled with peace that passes all understanding. I was excited for what she was now experiencing and who she was now spending time with.
After my aunt called and told me, I made my phone calls while walking around my deck and my stone patio. As I walked across the flagstone, I looked down to see a very small snake wiggling his way across the gray.
I’ve told the story since, because it sounds so dramatic. My mom was gone; I’ve been quite open about feeling the need to pick up and carry on her ministry. And there was a snake! In cold weather, almost-November northern Virginia! This must mean something completely ominous.
In truth, the little fella just wandered out from some warm leaves and under the edge of my hoe. (I would feel a little sorry for him…but he was a snake.) Sometimes, my day is brutal because I’m starting a new ministry and Satan is throwing up roadblocks to try to stop it. Sometimes, my day is bad because I’m cranky.
How do I tell the difference? How do I know the source of all these good and bad “signs?” If I’m staying close to God, reading His Word, communicating with Him deeply, honestly and often, I usually know when the Holy Spirit is trying to get my attention.
The other stuff? The bad? I look inside. If it’s my attitude, I concentrate on changing it. If it seems okay in my heart, then it really doesn’t matter the source. I just keep my attention where it belongs and enjoy the deer sightings.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
It must be a sign! How many times do I say that in a week? Jumping onto the supernatural bandwagon and overanalyzing are two of my worst habits. Perhaps the combination is a good one. I usually read way too much into things that happen; but the overanalyzing brings me back into focus.
If I see two deer on the side of the road (and manage not to hit one of them), I assume it’s God sending me a hug. (Actually, I still believe that is usually the case.) But if I’m on a highway and they’re on a corner, do I really need to question whether that’s a turn God wants me to make, that there’s something waiting for me to do down that road? Probably not.
Steve and I were looking for a house in Virginia. I became convinced that we belonged in a particular house simply because there was a copy of “Pride and Prejudice” lying on an upstairs hall table. Never mind that Steve just didn’t like the house. I loved the book and so it must be our house.
So when I saw a snake on the day Mom died, I knew there was some deep, dark message involved.
In order not to sound at all callous about my mother whom I dearly love, let me preface with some information. She had a wicked sense of humor – dry, to the point, and in your face brutal. I loved it. So when she died on a Halloween morning, I called it her last joke. Her saying to me, “Just try to forget me now!” We were so close and yet, my grieving for her didn’t start for a few weeks because I was filled with peace that passes all understanding. I was excited for what she was now experiencing and who she was now spending time with.
After my aunt called and told me, I made my phone calls while walking around my deck and my stone patio. As I walked across the flagstone, I looked down to see a very small snake wiggling his way across the gray.
I’ve told the story since, because it sounds so dramatic. My mom was gone; I’ve been quite open about feeling the need to pick up and carry on her ministry. And there was a snake! In cold weather, almost-November northern Virginia! This must mean something completely ominous.
In truth, the little fella just wandered out from some warm leaves and under the edge of my hoe. (I would feel a little sorry for him…but he was a snake.) Sometimes, my day is brutal because I’m starting a new ministry and Satan is throwing up roadblocks to try to stop it. Sometimes, my day is bad because I’m cranky.
How do I tell the difference? How do I know the source of all these good and bad “signs?” If I’m staying close to God, reading His Word, communicating with Him deeply, honestly and often, I usually know when the Holy Spirit is trying to get my attention.
The other stuff? The bad? I look inside. If it’s my attitude, I concentrate on changing it. If it seems okay in my heart, then it really doesn’t matter the source. I just keep my attention where it belongs and enjoy the deer sightings.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Tunnel Vision
When my kids were little and watching TV, in order to get their attention I would go over and take their face in my hands and say, “Look at me in my eyes.” It sounds pretty mean, now that I say it, but I was very gentle and they understood. Because they had tunnel vision. They were so fixed on whatever they were watching, my words fell on deaf ears unless I could divert their attention.
I’ve been reading in Mark this morning about Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:22-24, 35-42). Jesus was with His disciples and a crowd of people. Jairus was a synagogue ruler, someone who would have been responsible for the physical management of the synagogue building and the worship services; and, therefore, someone who also would have been respected in the community. He came to Jesus, fell at His feet, and told Him that his little daughter was dying. Would He come and heal her?
Jesus began to walk with him, but was distracted by someone else who needed healing. By the time He had taken care of the situation, people came from Jairus’ house and told him that it was now too late, that his daughter was dead. From everything Jairus had seen and heard, his was a hopeless situation and he might as well have just gone on home in sorrow.
But Jesus had overheard. And he turned to Jairus and did the equivalent of taking Jairus’ face in His hands and saying, “Pay attention!” He said, “Do not be afraid; only believe” (verse 36).
These stories are great and all, but it’s easy to read them and say, “that’s nice” and just keep rolling. Truth is, I don’t know that I would have had the faith! Would I just have hung my head and said, “it’s too late”?
We all have areas in our lives where we have tunnel vision, where we just can’t see the thing turning out well. We go to church and hear it; we read it in God’s Word. "He’s in control and He has a plan." But when we rely only on what we can see and hear - our small slice of the picture - our faith skitters away.
The complete, trusting faith of a child requires that we listen to Jesus when He says, “Look at Me in My eyes. Do not be afraid; only believe.” Then, eyes on Him and not our circumstances, we can go our way in peace and confidence that He truly is in control and has a plan.
Proverbs 3:5,6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
I’ve been reading in Mark this morning about Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:22-24, 35-42). Jesus was with His disciples and a crowd of people. Jairus was a synagogue ruler, someone who would have been responsible for the physical management of the synagogue building and the worship services; and, therefore, someone who also would have been respected in the community. He came to Jesus, fell at His feet, and told Him that his little daughter was dying. Would He come and heal her?
Jesus began to walk with him, but was distracted by someone else who needed healing. By the time He had taken care of the situation, people came from Jairus’ house and told him that it was now too late, that his daughter was dead. From everything Jairus had seen and heard, his was a hopeless situation and he might as well have just gone on home in sorrow.
But Jesus had overheard. And he turned to Jairus and did the equivalent of taking Jairus’ face in His hands and saying, “Pay attention!” He said, “Do not be afraid; only believe” (verse 36).
These stories are great and all, but it’s easy to read them and say, “that’s nice” and just keep rolling. Truth is, I don’t know that I would have had the faith! Would I just have hung my head and said, “it’s too late”?
We all have areas in our lives where we have tunnel vision, where we just can’t see the thing turning out well. We go to church and hear it; we read it in God’s Word. "He’s in control and He has a plan." But when we rely only on what we can see and hear - our small slice of the picture - our faith skitters away.
The complete, trusting faith of a child requires that we listen to Jesus when He says, “Look at Me in My eyes. Do not be afraid; only believe.” Then, eyes on Him and not our circumstances, we can go our way in peace and confidence that He truly is in control and has a plan.
Proverbs 3:5,6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
