On Mind and In My Heart

   

     Who else loves a good analogy? As I awoke this morning my thoughts were on those time-lapsed photos of a flower bursting forth from a tiny bud into a glorious and exquisite blossom filled with beauty. I picture a rose. That is usually where the photography ends but my mind continued through the remainder of that process.
     In my vision the edges of the petals slowly began to fade into brown, the blossom began to shrivel, a few petals drifted downward, the leaves went limp and eventually it dried completely up and fell off the stem tumbling to the ground below.
     This is what the  journey of life is like. A tiny embryo begins to develop in the womb. It opens and blossoms like a flower as limbs, tiny fingers and toes, other features and details, even hair begin to spring forth. It bursts forth at birth much like the rose in full, glorious bloom yet for humans, it is the beginning. We are so very incomplete at that stage.
      In the following years, the newborn becomes more alert and even cuter than before. It develops physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually into a full fledged human being, exquisite and glorious in its very existence. It may also become a free thinking, strong-willed and sometimes rebellious person.
     Eventually it will grow old, wrinkles and brown spots appear, hair loss like petals blowing in the wind occurs. It begins to droop a bit perhaps from the weight its shoulders have born for too long. Eventually it fades, shrivels and dies just like the rose.
     But also like the rose it will live again in a new and glorious body. The roots of the rosebush are strong and get their strength and nourishment from sun, rain and minerals in the soil. It will bloom forth the following season if nurtured by a loving caretaker.
     Our old bodies are buried in a grave to await the resurrection when they will be reunited with our spirits and live again, this time in the presence of our Creator. On that splendid day, we shall burst forth immortalized and exalted in His presence.
     The difference is that the rose doesn't have a spirit in the same sense that we humans possess. It is destined to blossom and peak in it's boundless beauty without effort.
     However, for us we must do something to achieve our eternal glory. We must travel an often lonely and difficult path that frequently feels uphill in every direction.
     Unlike the rose, we are not alone. The Lord has blessed us with His Comforter to accompany us on our journey IF we accept Jesus and strive to live as He would have us do each and every step of the way. He has even blessed us with an unimaginable gift--repentance, to help us overcome and be forgiven for our sins.
     We may be the gardener for the rose bush but we cannot do the same for ourselves. We must rely on the Savior of the World to lead us and the Holy Spirit to teach us. We cannot lean on our own understanding as the Psalmist wrote. We cannot successfully reach our destination when our scriptures sit on a shelf gathering dust. We cannot understand God's word through osmosis. We cannot attain our goal by sitting on our laurels and watching or worse waiting for others to serve.

Molly Studying Scriptures By Osmosis

     Jesus was the perfect example of serving others, loving unconditionally, and encouraging the downtrodden and brokenhearted. Do we emulate Him or do we watch from afar criticizing, judging, grumbling and complaining all the way? He has given us the choice and the ones we make have everlasting consequences.
     In 2 Timothy 3:7-8 we see the example of those who resist the spirit. Chapter 4 verse 4 comes with an alert, "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables."
I John 5:6 in part tells us, ". . . And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth."
    Do we decide what we believe based on what we feel or wish? Do we listen blindly to preachers who tell us what we want to hear? Do we go to church to be entertained? Do we mistake or confuse an emotional experience with a spiritual one? If anyone answers even one of these questions in the affirmative they stand in danger.
     Well worn scriptures are a blessing. Don't let yours gather dust on a shelf. Use them daily. Use them up and pray for guidance to understand them. All the answers to every dilemma we face are there if we prayerfully seek for it. 
    "Be still and know that I am God," still applies. We need to prayerfully search the Word, take time to listen and seek the truth for Jesus said, "The truth shall set you free." So look for the Son. Seek Him. He anxiously awaits each of us to come to Him constantly and to rely on His arm rather than our own flawed understanding. Make sure the Light we seek is from the Son.
   

A Big Ball of String

     My mother-in-law saved string--all colors and thicknesses. She untangled it, knotted it and wound it into a big ball. The strings from the tops of sugar and flour bags as well as feed sacks were saved separately to be crocheted into doilies, armchair protectors, shawls, tablecloths and more. The multi-colored ones she wound into a separate ball to be used as twine to truss a turkey, wrap and tie a package or bundle, tie the ends of ponytails and so one. She never wasted anything and she made do with what she had on hand. String was always ready to unravel as needed.

     That is what my life and my story are like. Made up of bits of string, many too short to use and others too long to toss. Most of the knots are so conspicuous that a long section of string is almost impossible to find. 

     The knots represent the hard times, and there have more than a few. Though they outweigh the smooth stretches of my life they are the ones that have blessed me with the opportunities to develop strength and character and for that I am grateful. Some of the knots are large enough to get in the way while other lengths of string are stretched to the limit and barely hanging on by a thin, frayed fiber. My goal is to piece them together in such a way to tell the story of my my life and the lessons learned.

     Some threads are coarse, rough and tough. Others are fragile and delicate. Some are pure white, others a dingy yellow-gray and others as colorful as a rainbow or sparkly as sunlit dew. The former remind me of the times I have been blessed with the strength and courage to endure hardships and trials that have befallen me or a loved.

     The latter are reminders of the occasions when it was I who needed to uplifted and encouraged by others; when my own resolve and determination were not quite sufficient to see me through. The colors tell stories in and of themselves. How often can we relate to the dull and dingy bits? The moments when I relate to the pure white ones are few but the colorful bits and pieces remind me of other bright spots in my life: my 55 year marriage to my best friend, a college grade point of 4.0, successes in home and family including two children, five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, my conversion and relationship with my Savior and a myriad of others too numerous to boast of. 

  On the other hand, the dingy, coarse or darkened ones represent the depths of despair and discouragement we each are forced to embrace: the death of a loved one, chronic illness, job loss, cancer, heartache for a wayward family member, devastating house fire, losing my spouse to dementia and the untimely death of my only son to name a few. 

     If these bits and pieces of various textured and colored strings were woven into a tapestry of my life, how would they look? I have seen the underside of a piece of embroidery work. At times, that is what my life has looked like; a confused jumble of unrelated items, knots and gnarls and lack of a coherent pattern that make little sense. But, then the time comes to look at the other side, the top. Amazingly enough, as I near the end of my earthly journey, it begins to come together. The picture becomes not only clear but beautiful and even glorious to behold. Life is an art and our tapestry is our artwork. When the going is tough, remember that we too often gaze upon the  wrong side of our life's tapestry. We cannot view the whole picture yet we we can imagine the beauty of it by putting in a little effort. 

     Yes, often the pieces of string create gigantic knots in our lives. There have been many enormous knots in mine, but hopefully they are the very ones that have created within me the strength and character that now define my true self. Without the knots and tangles, would I be the individual of faith and optimism that I am? It is doubtful. Just remember that the Son shines down on the topside of our tapestry. Look to Him and the Light through that jumbled up mess on our side. 

     

He Is Risen

     It's the evening of Easter Sunday. These times are anything but normal. Our lives have been disrupted, inconvenienced and spun out of control for many. I'm not really depressed but I have been a bit overwhelmed. All the plans I had for downsizing, selling off, finding a new home and listing this one for sale have been put on hold. There is concern that the housing market may be very slow to pick back up. 

     So, where does that leave me? In much better shape than myriad others, that's where. I have a home, I have an income and some savings, we have lived providently and prudently so that our resources are in good shape. We have canned and stored sufficient foodstuffs and other consumables so that we have been just fine without needing to buy toilet paper, toiletries and other necessities in a frantic panic.

     Very blessed is how I would describe myself this past month. Tomorrow marks my 31st day in self-quarantine.  It is lonely and how blessed we are for the technology at our fingertips to remain connected to the outside world, especially with my eternal companion suffering from dementia. How I miss him even as I wait on and care for him. 

     All that being said, I have not lost my sense of humor. Does anyone else feel like they have cooked and prepared at least 847 meals in the past month? Can one actually die from not getting to eat in their favorite Mexican restaurant for such a prolonged period of time? (Asking for a friend.) At least we now know why toilet paper is such a premium; because so many are eating their own cooking for the first time. 

      The picture above is of my daughter Pat on the left and another guest at a bridal shower about a decade ago. I designed her dress 100% out of toilet paper and we won first prize. The other gal was the runner up. Jokingly we have confessed to retroactively contributing to short supply of said product. 

     This past week has been the holiest and most sacred week in all Christendom. How grateful I am for the technologies to make it more meaningful during this separation from other believers. Tragedies and calamities continue to befall the population of this planet. Not only the virus, but earthquakes, erupting volcanoes, tornadoes and other deadly storms and swarms of locusts are destroying the vegetation in Africa and elsewhere. Yet, there are still those who mock and disrespect and show such little compassion or understanding for others. What else will God deem necessary to get their attention? Or will He reach the point where He fulfills His promises for Christ to return to the earth because the end is so near?

      "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear," is a favorite phrase for me. It speaks truth. We were prepared by following the counsel of wise leaders who said to avoid debt, live on less than you earn, put aside a little food and other goods for hard times, etc. 

     Easter has been different for almost everyone this year. The apostles and  disciples of Jesus Christ endured that first Easter alone. We celebrated it virtually alone but not as bereaved as they must have been because we KNOW the outcome. He is risen. The church buildings are empty . . . but so is the tomb. 

     Tonight there are tornado threats in our area and a very large swath of this country, however, there is peace because I know who is in control and it surely is not me. The one who created us, who loves us more than we can imagine, who gave His son for us and the Son willingly suffered unimaginable pain in our behalf is in control. Though dark clouds hang over us tonight, the Son is shining brightly above them. He can calm the storm--but when He doesn't, remember that He can calm the child and allow the storm to rage.  It is He who holds our future and our fate. Choose the light.