A Gentle Stirring

I was reading in my car Thursday afternoon, waiting for the kids to get out of school, when I heard a very familiar and welcoming sound. It was the wind rustling the leaves in a tree across the street. There hadn't been any noticeable wind all day, so it came as a surprise when the wind began to blow.

The sound of the leaves brought to mind an incident from my youth. I was in my early teens, going through the normal moodswings, and I had just finished watching a movie with a sad, yet happy ending (the name of the movie has long escaped my memory). I remember I felt like crying, so I walked out into our backyard to get some air.

It was late afternoon on a Saturday. There were no loud noises. Everything was pretty still. I was fighting the sadness in my mind, when all of a sudden the wind began to blow ever so gently. Then the leaves in the trees began to stir.It was such a small sound, but it spoke to my heart. It was as if God was reaching out to me through His wonderful nature and telling me: "It's going to be okay. You're significant to me."

That gentle stirring lifted up my spirits. I returned to the house with a smile and a joyful heart.

I still smile when I hear the wind rustling leaves or pine needles in the trees. It reminds me that God is watching over me. He is there when I need Him. He is bigger than my problems.

Let God stir your heart today and bring you hope and joy.

To Encourage

Are you an encourager or a discourager? Do you build up or tear down? I know I have been guilty of the negative, although my goal is to be positive and bring the best out of people. But it's hard to be that amazing motivator when you're going through your own struggles.

Several years ago God called me to account for hurting someone I knew. Because of the personal nature of the incident, I won't go into details, but I was left feeling very rebuked. I cried out to the Lord in repentenance, then looked to Him for healing. No one but the Lord truly knew the pain in my heart. I was in no mood to be an encourager; yet God still wanted me to have a positive affect on my family and friends.

How does one become an encourager when you feel discouraged? First of all, we must ask God for help. He is the enabler. He is the ultimate encourager. He will give us the strength we need to handle the situation.

Secondly, we need to keep our eyes off of our problems and turn our attention to those God has brought to us. (Yes, God is the one who brings the people we are to minister to.)

Thirdly, we need to point that person to the Lord. God is the ultimate problem solver. He gave us wisdom, but people need to see that they must turn to the Lord for the answers. We can give them counsel from God's Word, but only He can effectively heal the situation.

And finally, we need to see that as the Lord brings healing and comfort to others, He will work out the pain and troubles in our own heart, allowing us to be encouraged once again.

Hearing Loss

Last week I heard a report about an eleven year old boy from Wales who suddenly regained the hearing in his right ear after nine years of partial deafness. Apparently, while playing pool with his friends, he felt a pop in his ear. Upon investigation, he found a piece of cotton that had been lodged in his ear canal for all those years.

The family thinks the boy had been playing with a cotton swab when he was two. The cotton wad broke off and stayed in his ear for almost a decade, despite the seeking of medical treatment for his hearing loss. No one had been able to detect the cotton. The hearing problem was blamed on wax build up that would come out on its own in time.

I couldn't help relating the clogged ear with a life of unconfessed sin. When we keep sinning, especially when we know what the Lord expects of us, our prayers are not heard. Proverbs 28:9 says, "One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." The lines of communication are severed. We can't get any messages through, and we can't hear our directions clearly.

Sometimes people will say, "God's Word doesn't match up with the times. The Bible is old fashioned." What a lie from the devil! God's righteousness does not change. The expectations of a Holy God still stand. The world changes, but God does not.

As a Christian I am called to be Holy because God is Holy. When I sin, I must confess it before the Lord so I can be washed clean. If I don't, I can find myself compromising the values that I once held dear. It becomes easier to do things I never would have done before.

It is not easy to live a Holy life. That is why God sent Jesus - to save us from our sins. When Jesus returned to heaven, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit to call us to account and help us to be Holy.

Is there something that is blocking your access to the Lord? Remove the sin from your life, repent the trespass to the Lord, and you will soon hear the sweet sound of God's love.

Casting a Ballot

It's voting day for California and a few other states. It's interesting and kind of sad to see how many people are not registered. It's even worse to discover that for those who are, few will exert their right to cast their ballot.

I think it is the obligation of all eligible citizens to vote. Our country has fought long and hard to give this priviledge to all its citizens over eighteen years of age, regardless of color or gender. Our votes do count. Our voices can be heard. We just need to step out of the attitude of complacency and take a stand for what is right and what is true.

As a Christian, I think it is even more crucial to take a stand for moral issues. We need to seek the Lord for His choice, even when the ads and interviews tell us otherwise. If we follow God's will, then we need to trust Him for the outcome. Our obedience could lead to life changes in this land; changes that could bring healing to the crushing brokenness that surrounds us.

Who is your trust in? Man or God? I choose God. I cast my ballot for Him years ago. I want to continue to trust Him, because when I do, I am blessed through His response.

Growing Up

Last month I wrote how I wake up and start my day reading God's Word. I mentioned that my kids will join me to have a devotional time together. In the past week and a half, something has changed. My oldest son has decided he needs to take his Bible reading seriously. He will awaken when I do and have his own quiet time with God.

My son is starting to grow up. Little by little I see him maturing and trying to be more responsible. I see him wanting to succeed in junior high because he knows his grades and how he learns will affect his chances for a better education in the future. I see him sticking to things he doesn't like (although with some complaints) out of obedience. I see him trying to understand the role God has for him, and I see the zeal he has for things that are right and true.

I have mixed emotions about all this. I know a day will come when he will be out on his own, facing major decisions regarding his life. Will he follow the principles we have taught him? Will he follow God? Will he compromise instead of seeking what God would have him do ? It's a bit scary. The world can be a very crazy place.

On the other hand, I know that my kids aren't truly mine. God has given them temporarily to us to train and to love. My kids are really His kids. I can't hold on to them forever. I can only pray for wisdom to continue their training, for patience when their growing pains cause friction among us, for understanding as they struggle to develop their individuality, and for love that as the Bible says, "...covers a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8)

Thankfully, God doesn't leave us alone as we train up our children. He is eager to give us comfort, support, and advice. We just need to seek Him and to trust Him.

Weekend Reflection

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness,
The power and the glory,
The victory and the majesty;
For all that is in heaven
and in earth is Yours;
Yours is the kingdom, O LORD,
And You are exalted as head
over all."

1 Chronicles 29:12

Productive Sleeplessness

(I wrote this back in early 2005. It still applies today.)

Have you ever had those nights when you wake up in the wee hours of the morning and can’t get back to sleep? I get those every so often, and I used to toss and turn as I tried to unsuccessfully return to my slumber.

I wondered if there was a reason I was not sleeping. Was I eating the right foods? Was I going to bed at a decent hour? Was something bothering me? I decided to fight back against the restlessness by doing something productive: I began to pray.

I started praying for my husband and children, for my relatives and friends, for people I hadn’t seen in some time, and for situations I knew people were going through. I also prayed for my children’s developing character so God could mold and shape them into what He wanted them to be. By the time I had been praying for awhile, I finally found myself drifting off to sleep.

My attitude towards my interrupted sleep started to change. Instead of being frustrated by my wakefulness, I started seeing it as a way to intercede for others. When I would awaken, I began asking the Lord, “Who would You like me to pray for?” Sometimes a person would come to mind. Other times I would pray through my list of family and friends.

It felt good to be able to entreat the Lord on their behalf, particularly during this period of quietness when the rest of my household was sleeping. Maybe that was the reason I would wake up at those times. Maybe I was being called upon to pray when I was the least preoccupied. Whatever the cause, I have now joyfully accepted my sleeplessness as an opportunity to bless someone else through intercession.

The next time you find yourself waking up at odd hours, try praying. You might find yourself sleeping better for your efforts.