Deep Trust

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 80: Today, I am grateful for deep trust. 

When planting a field or a garden, too much water or rain can prevent the crop from growing deep roots. When the roots are deep, they can tolerate more drought when it comes. There are wet seasons and dry ones. Most plants learn to adapt to survive and thrive. 

This verse reminds us of our spiritual walk. It is a journey with seasons of abundance and seasons of struggling. How deep are our roots when things get tough? 

Lent Day 32 verse: 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” -Jeremiah 17:7-8

We can trust God with a bold sense of security, knowing he works all things out. He is our confident, the one with whom we can share our deepest thoughts... in trust. From that trust springs the kind of roots that can get us through the times of struggle and uncertainty. We may not understand, but we can withstand through His strength... sheltered in His care. 

Like the little one who reaches up for a parent or a grandparent when the world gets scary, our Father in heaven never fails us. The waiting places are not my favorites, but they are part of the journey. I am so grateful we are never abandoned. We are never forgotten or alone. 

Today, I am grateful for deep trust. 

Spiritual Cravings

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 79: Today, I am grateful for spiritual cravings. 

There is a song out right now that has a line that speaks to my heart. It says, 'We got dust on our Bibles, brand new iPhones. No wonder why we feel this way." He sings about longing for the way things were in 2017. 

Has our human disconnect grown that much wider in just under a decade? Do we talk to Siri and Alexa more than we do each other? Imagine how it has decreased our time in The Word, too. Thanks Josiah Queen for a great song! "Dusty Bibles" is a wake up call. 

In the beginning, we used technology. Now, I have to wonder... is technology using us? I love the ease of answers and help at my fingertips. I love learning but books get heavy. Technology gives us a library at our fingertips twenty four hours a day. It even gives me deeper access to Bible study tools. Technology is not all bad, but it can become an addiction. We can begin to believe it is all-knowing and always right.

 "Deception, deception, deceptions!" is a memorable line from Tennessee Williams's play "The Glass Menagerie." Thomas Sowell said, "Deception is one of the quickest ways to gain little things and lose big things." 

There is so much deception around us every day. Could that be why when humans truly need to recharge we seek the beach, the garden, the mountains, or a farm. They are places where we can breathe fresh air. What do we crave? 

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. -1 Peter 2:2-3

What do we crave today? Where do we find nourishment? Do these things reflect our relationship with our Lord?

(Note: Saturday is the IL Mennonite Relief Sale at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. The pancake and sausage breakfast is worth the lines. The quilts are incredible works of art and heart.  It supports those in need locally and around the world.)

Today, I am grateful for spiritual cravings. 

Great Instructions

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 78: Today, I am grateful for great instructions. 

Have you ever received an item that was "some assembly required?" Has it ever come without instructions or in a language you cannot understand? Have you ever sought out clear instructions online or on YouTube? Great instructions make all the difference. 

My scripture for Lent today is one of my favorites. I remember it was colorfully highlighted in the Bible I used from childhood through college. I've always loved plenty of color in my favorite book. It has always helped me locate the verses that speak to my heart in meaningful ways. This is good instructions:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." -Galatians 5:22-23

We are encouraged to behave like Jesus. Be loving, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled citizens of wherever you live. Be an ambassador for the cross and the crown of Christ. If we follow these guidelines we will naturally live better with others. It is a big bonus that it helps us live better with ourselves. 

The fruits of the Spirit are a reflection of a relationship with Him. They pour from His heart, into ours. He fills us up and it spills out. The more He fills our thoughts and days, the easier it gets. Still, we all have areas where self control is a daily battle. 

Not every day is easy. Some are really hard. It is the Spirit who lives in us that comforts, guides, and whispers "you've got this" when we think we are completely done... too tired to take another step. 

I am grateful that the scriptures provide something for every trial or situation. I love reading the examples of those with great faith. They provide us with encouragement and great instructions for daily living. 

Today, I am grateful for great instructions. 

Hope Floats

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 77: Today, I am grateful hope floats.

In order to float, something must "fill our cups." You cannot float in an empty pool. A dried up lake is a hole in the ground. We can purchase moments of happiness with things, but happiness is fleeting. Joy and peace are both God-sourced. They are from Him. 

Joy and peace can be endlessly sought but never found when we look in the wrong places. I wonder how many times in our lives we get "so close" to fully experiencing the power and joy of the Holy Spirit because we see something shiny. Oh, I do love things that are shiny and sparkle. 

Knowing that we are the purchased then adopted children of God is powerful. Yes, Jesus paid our sin debt when we were slaves to our sins and the  influence of the enemy. He chose the cross over aborting the mission when it got hard. His love is relentless; He fills our cups to overflowing, even in the presence of our enemies. How can we not celebrate the Good News? 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." -Romans 15:13

No matter what the day may bring, we can float in the hope of His joy and peace. 

Today, I am grateful hope floats.

Taste of Goodness

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 76: Today, I am grateful for the taste of goodness. 

We were programmed to recognize goodness. I love that at the end of each day of creation God looked over the work and proclaimed it "good." 

We can taste the goodness of God in all of our seasons. In the good days and in the hard ones, there is goodness in the shelter and hope found in His arms. It is strong, real, and freeing... even for those who find him behind prison bars. 

Our free will allows us to seek Him out or to run in the opposite direction. Some will stay on the edge of commitment. They can see the goodness of God, but are not ready to call him Lord. He waits, like the parent waits for the teen driver to come home. He waits like a military spouse at home. The love is so deep, it aches. 

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!" -Psalm 34:8 

His goodness is real. It is sweet like the raspberries in the image. Raspberries are one of my favorite berries. The season is short, they are fragile, and the birds and animals are likely to get them first if we wait too long. Sometimes we wait too long and miss them completely. 

Seize the day. Taste the goodness. He is a good, good Father! 

Today, I am grateful for the taste of goodness. 

The Gift of Grace

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 75: Today, I am grateful for the gift of grace.

Here is my scripture for Lent Day 26:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."  Ephesians 2:8

It is simple and wonderful... and hard to fathom. It is the act that makes the ground level at the foot of the cross. No one is more important. No one is less important. All are welcome. All must choose. 

Can it really be that easy? 

"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." -Romans 10:8-10

Confess our sins. Believe in His gift. Receive His grace. 

When we believe something deeply, it changes us. Some changes truly happen in an instant; others are a part of the journey to know Him deeper and love Him more. We mess up and His grace is deep and wide, when we confess, believe, and receive. 

When we believe in something... like gravity... we behave differently. We know there are consequences. Gravity is not bad. In fact, our life here requires it, but we must also respect it. We trust that there are consequences and we make our decisions. What do we truly believe in? 

Is there evidence of our belief in how we seek His face and His grace? Do we attempt to use it as a get out of jail free card or a back up plan? Or do we live our lives as an offering because of His sacrifice, great mercy, and love. 

His grace is the most precious, curious, and mysterious gift. We choose it or lose it. 

Today, I am grateful for the gift of grace.

Servant King

 

Daily Gratitude- Year 14 - Day 74: Today, I am grateful for a servant King. 

This scripture for today reminded me of the many years we sang it with the littles at church. It was standard Pre-K to 2nd grade singing and we were blessed by the many times the 1st-6th graders joined in. It is very Jewish sounding in its rhythm and tone. "We Have a King" is one "Earworm" loves to sing over and over. 

I think my favorite verse is:

"We have a King with a bowl and towel. We have a King with a bowl and towel We have a King with a bowl and towel... Servant King is Jesus." (It is actually the same tune as "What do do you do with a drunken sailor... early in the morning)

Our church has held on to foot washing as a tradition. It seemed so strange to me in the beginning. But then, after sharing it with the children, it has become dear to my heart. My dear friend Julie and I have practiced it on Palm Sunday for many years, with only a few missed years. We play the roles of Mary and Martha. It helps us explain that Jesus is our Servant King. 

Children teach us far more than we teach them. The first time, it was as strange to the children as it was to me. But we discovered together the delight in humbly serving another "family" member.

There was no pressure. Any one could pass, but most didn't. One year, they asked if they could wash each other's feet, too. It is a forever memory. Their enthusiasm and hearts to serve are beautiful. 

I have been delighted to see foot washing show up at weddings in recent years. Marriage is a commitment to washing another's feet symbolically... and occasionally literally. It was what Jesus did for the disciples at that final dinner before the garden prayers, the betrayal, the beatings, and then the cross. He endured it all so that we could be ransomed and free. 

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” -Mark 10:45

It is a love like no other. 

Today, I am grateful for a servant King.