Walking

Walking is such a simple thing.   Most of us get it down  pretty good before we are even a year old.   We have some occasional bumps and spills, but for the most part, we get it conquered.  

Of course, when we are babies, and we trip or fall, we don't have far to go before we hit the floor and bounce on our butts and every one laughs and thinks we're so cute.  So we laugh too.

But we are so proud of ourselves for learning to walk!


It's a bit different the older we get.   Walking may be easier for us, but falling can be disastrous.  The consequences can be pretty bad.  Broken bones, bruises, embarrassment, doctor bills.  Ugh. 

Nobody is laughing then.

But walking worthy of God?

I'm a Christian.  Jesus loves me.  I love Jesus.   That's a simple step.

I'm a Christian and I'm going through some super tough times and it's getting really hard to stay focused on acting like Jesus and walking just became hard work.   

I feel like I'm always tripping upstairs.

Walking is tough when the path is steep.

I'm a Christian and it's storming and pouring rain and the flood is about to overwhelm me.   How am I supposed to walk in this?

I'm a Christian and someone just yanked my chain.  Pushed all my buttons.  My walk just got real agitated and unpredictable. 

I'm a Christian and my whole world just fell apart.  I don't even know where to put my feet.   Where was Jesus?   

He is right there with you ... every time.  

Take a breath.  Take another one.   Talk to Him.   Steady your stride.

Laugh for joy because you know that God is right beside you.

Sometimes my walk is like baby steps.

Other times I feel like I am doing a race walk with a few little crazy dance steps thrown in looking all funny and uncoordinated and making everyone wonder what in the world is going on with me.  

Have I lost my ever lovin mind?

Sometimes I even wonder what in the world is going on with me.

Where is my grace and sureness?   Where are those steady steps of faith.

Those steps of faith that are rock solid and without question.

What in the world would I do if God changed His mind?   

As wishy washy, self absorbed and unloveable as I can be, who would blame Him if He just threw His hands up and said "Forget it!  I'm done!"

After all, I can't seem to keep a steady pace.   I'm all on fire for Him and faithful in my walk one day and then I get tripped up by life the next.

Fortunately for me, and for all of us, He will never change.

God's promises to us are irrevocable.   He calls us to salvation through Christ.

He offers eternal life in His kingdom.  Not as servants or worker bees, but as his heirs.

God is not a man that He should lie.  

We are royalty ...Children of the most benevolent loving King.  He is our example for how to live our lives.

He has given us such an amazing gift.

It is up to us to live our lives as though it means something.

As though we appreciate it.

He calls us worthy of His sacrifice.

We must live to honor that.

We have to walk worthy of it, knowing that even on our worst days when our world is falling apart, He is still King of Kings, Lord of Lords.   He is still our Savior, Friend, Provider, Healer, Teacher and Life, Strength and Joy.

He is still the One that called us.

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called," (Ephesians 4:1)

"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29)

"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23: 19)

All scripture is from the NKJV.

Joy For The Ashes ...

Do you pray for miracles?

I guess that's a silly question.   We all want to see miracles happen in our lives. 

I pray almost daily for miracles of all sorts. 

There is a story in Genesis about Abraham and Sarah.   They had given up on having a child, yet in their old age God blessed them with a miracle baby!

They even named this baby Isaac, because even the idea of being pregnant in her 90's made Sarah laugh out loud.

Isaac's name means laughter.

Today we would say she LOL'd. 

He was the joy of her life.

His very existence brought joyfulness and happiness and gladness into their lives.

The miracle she had prayed for unceasingly in her younger and barren years ... the miracle she had given up on ever happening ... she now held in her arms.

God had answered their prayers in His own time and for His own purpose. 

In the process, He also proved to Abraham and Sarah that He could do anything.

Anything.

He proved that nothing was impossible for Him.

Then one day God asked Abraham to do something impossible.  

He asked Abraham to take Isaac up on the mountain and offer him as a burnt offering ... as if Isaac was a lamb or sheep intended solely for sacrificial purposes.

The Bible doesn't go into the detail about how this affected Abraham and Sarah.   Yet I can't help but think that they cried and grieved, heartbroken beyond belief.

Even so, in agony,  Abraham set out with Isaac the following day being fully obedient to God.

After 3 days they reached the mountain and prepared to make the sacrifice. 

His heart breaking, he placed Isaac on the altar they had both prepared, and raised his knife to slaughter his miracle.

That's when God intervened.   That's when He provided a ram for the offering. 

That's when God told Abraham "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld  your son, your only son - blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.  In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." (Genesis 22: 16-18 NKJV)

Let me paraphrase: "... because you were obedient ...because you have not withheld your miracle son, I will bless you."

And then there's this:

Agonizing on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed that this painful cup might be removed from Him, yet He prayed also "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  (Matthew 26:39 NKJV)

He laid the requested miracle at the feet of the Father and accepted the answer, whatever that might be.

At the time, crucifixion looked like a horrible end ... a tragedy.

It didn't look much like a miracle to anyone.

Yet God used His precious Son's obedient and willing death on a cross as a boon for all mankind.  

He substituted His life for ours.

We pray for miracles.   Are we willing to lay them on the altar?

Are we ready and obedient to give up the miracle He has provided or that we have prayed for simply because He may have another plan or purpose?   Simply because He asks,  regardless of how we may feel about it?

Are we so set on having our own way that we don't even recognize the answered prayer because it doesn't look like what we asked for?

I am not Jesus.  I am no Abraham.  I'm not even a Sarah.  

Yet I knew their story and how God provided.  How God performed impossible miracles for them.

Years ago, I had been praying for my husband and our marriage.  I prayed for years.  I had been asking for a miracle from God in our marriage, in my husband's heart and in mine.  

I finally and fearfully, scared to death, not knowing what the outcome might be, laid it on the altar as a sacrifice and prayed "Lord God!  I don't know what it's going to take, but You do!"

I left it there with Him.

Within two months, my husband left and my heart and spirit was shattered.

No way was this the miracle that I had prayed for!  It looked and felt like death to me.

But even as I brokenly cried out to God in pain, I prayed that He would use this heartbreak some how, some way.

Now, years later, I look back and see God.

He healed my broken heart and set my feet on solid ground.

He held me.  He holds me still.

He provides for me every step of the way.

He made me see myself - beautiful in His eyes.

He taught me to trust Him completely.

He fulfilled my lifelong dreams and has given me joy and wonder for the ashes of my prayed for miracle.

He took my measure of faith and increased it.  Multiplying, He multiplied.

He blessed me.

What is precious?

What is your miracle?   The one you are praying for or the one that you have received.  The thing you hold so dear you would give your life for it.

If asked, would you offer it back to Him?  Give Him complete nevertheless authority over it?

So that He can bless you.

Holy Father, God of all creation.  God of the past, present and the future, Lord I pray to always hold loosely to the things of this world and cling tightly to You.  I pray that I have faithful obedience to You in all my ways.  And may You multiply and bless myself and my family.  In Jesus' precious Name. Amen.

Letting Go

A few days ago I walked out  my front door and there was a piece of paper laying on my doorstep.

I picked it up wondering what the what!?

There was a message on it from a stranger asking me to call him. 

He wanted to talk with me about the concrete bench that has been sitting in my front yard for years.  It's been there from way before I owned this house.

I had jury duty and was on my way to the court house to do my duty (which is a whole 'nother story), so I didn't call right then.

I forgot about it for a day or two.  When it came to my mind again, I picked up my phone and called.

The gentleman that answered the phone told me that his wife's great great grandfather had actually made the bench.   He wanted to buy it, if I would sell it, because it was their anniversary and he wanted to surprise her with it.

I thought about it and said "sure, why not?"  We agreed on a price and he said he would be back in touch and come pick it up some time later.

He came today and loaded it into his pickup.   

I asked if his wife knew she was getting it he said "No!"

It is going to be a surprise for her!

This is so sweet.   He loves his wife and wants to give her something that will be meaningful to her ... if I will let it go. 

About an hour after he left, my phone rang.    It was his tearful wife on the phone telling me how much it meant to her that I would sell them the bench.    Not only had her great great grandfather made this bench, but she used to live in the house I live in now.   She has lots of memories of this place and that bench.   She was so excited about having it!

Her husband texted me to thank me.  He said it meant a lot to her.

Sometimes when we let go of something that doesn't mean that much to us, it becomes a treasure for someone else and you receive a lot in return.

It made my day to know that he was able to surprise her and that I got to be a part of it.

Imagine how much we please God when we let go of things that we really don't want or need ...like want and need, anger and bitterness, pride and hurt .... and allow Him to make a treasure of it for us or for someone else.

He turns those things into treasures of wisdom and faith.

He loves to surprise us with treasure!

I bet He loves it when we call Him back to thank Him for it!  It probably makes His day.

Sometimes when we let go of something that