Tag: desert springs

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The Loveliness of the Commonplace

Part 2

“Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless.
The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to these.”
Matthew 5:3

Jesus knew more than any human being that has ever walked the earth what spiritual
helplessness looked like. Whether we recognize it or not, it is the reality we all share. God
knows it. Jesus-in-human-form knew it. We are the ones who find it difficult to admit that truth of how helpless we truly are regarding our own spirits.

I grew up in the “church world.” I was rarely exposed to the realities of the “fallen world” all
around me. However, the “church world” was quite full of “fallen world” people. Often, despite best efforts, it was difficult to differentiate between the two worlds.

When I (a “Pastor’s Kid” aka “PK”) grew up and fell in love, it was with a man whose life
experience was in a traditional faith that was quite foreign to my experience. I grew up with an attitude toward his faith tradition as a faith that was “missing the Boat.” Although I very
personally had asked Jesus to come into my life when I was a little girl, I saw in my husband a genuine kind of faith that was borne out of his very genuine realization of the “lost-ness” of his life before coming to know Jesus. He knew what it was to be truly “lost” . . . and then truly “found” by his Savior. As our lives became established together in following Christ, I began to realize very personally witness the transformation that Jesus could create in any human heart opened to invite Him into their life. I could see transformations of lives, as these new Believers asked Him to give them a new heart and His Spirit.

It changed my whole perspective of my world. I was watching real people, who had never
known the Forgiveness and New Life that Jesus made possible, come into a very real
experience of Life-Change. . . Heart Change . . . Mind Change . . . and Eternal Destiny Change.

Those Truths and Promises I had always been taught took on living, breathing Life as I watched people walking away from “what was” and into a new Life. They were experiencing new thoughts, new spirits, and new Eternal Destinies now in their life’s reality.

Jesus’ Presence in our lives . . . our hearts . . . our minds . . . changes everything. It is real. It is
visible. It comes out in practical, tangible ways that others notice. It is seen in the simple acts of daily life. It shows up in thoughts and actions and motivations and attitudes that had not been part of our lives before He came to us. . . into us. The Common becomes something Lovely.

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The Loveliness of the Commonplace

(Part 1)

“I have told you this so that
My Peace will be with you.
In the world you will have trouble.
But don’t be sad!
I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

They had spent the evening together. They had shared a meal, spent time together in a
comfortable setting, and had enjoyed uninterrupted time relaxing and simply enjoying each
other’s company without the frequent demands that came to Jesus from people who wanted His attention and help. Jesus had washed their feet before the meal, taking personal time in that simple, kind, practical act with each of His dearest followers. They had been through so much together in the past few years.

They did not realize what was so soon to come as they sat with Him, relaxing that evening. He showed no signs of worry, or fear, or sadness as they spent that time together. Jesus was focused on His friends, giving them encouragement. They were not aware of how frightening and difficult the coming hours and days would be. . . not only for them, but for Him.

In those hours spent together, Jesus gave His full attention to them. He was not focused on the horrors that He knew were to take place later that night and the coming days. His full attention was on them. He was focused on them. . . these friends with whom He had shared Life and ministry for the past three years.

I cannot imagine spending the final hours of my life, knowing of horrific events that would soon begin to unfold, focused on a roomful of friends, sharing a meal, being the “Perfect Host,” and being fully Present with them throughout that final evening. What Love! What selfless attention He focused on them. Simple. Practical. Needful. Care for His friends. Serving them, with the full knowledge of what was to come for Him.

May my focus . . . my priorities . . . my energies reflect to the people who matter most in my life, the selflessness that Jesus lived and breathed each day. May my eyes be focused on serving and loving well throughout my days. Even when my own heart may be troubled and broken, may I reflect the One Who has loved me so well, even when it was not deserved. May those simple, practical ways of caring for the people in my life be a reflection of Jesus. . . and allow Him to use it in ways that I never could.

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Looking UP . . . from the Valley


“Jesus said, ‘Let’s go up to Jerusalem.’”

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?! Jesus Himself inviting His followers to go with Him to Jerusalem! Such a special place! Such a “Crown Jewel” focal point for all of Israel.

But in order to go “up” to Jerusalem, you have to go down through the Kidron Valley that
surrounds the “up” of Jerusalem. It’s not glamorous. It would not have been an easy trek for
Jesus and His friends. It’s hot. It’s quite a steep hike up to Jerusalem. Not many shady spots
along the way on that steep slope. On foot. In sandals. BYO water. Etc.

But Jerusalem is worth the trek. All of Israel felt that. Even to this day, there is truly something very unique . . . VERY special about the first glimpse of Jerusalem from a distance. But winding through the heights/mountains around Jerusalem is not an easy trek on foot.

What a visual and experiential Picture God had designed as the Main Stage for His Greatest
Work to unfold in History! And through ages of turmoil and violence surrounding that Special Place, it still stands. Although the “Temple” now lives in our own hearts. . . where His Spirit resides when He has been invited . . . the Land remains.

It strikes me as SO relevant today, as Jesus continues to say to each of His Own followers now, “Let’s go up to Jerusalem.” The “City of God.” ‘Come with Me, . . . let’s Go together.’

Whatever “Valley” has been the setting of your present reality, His invitation continues. And I think that the sweetest part of the invitation is that He intends to be on the Journey with us! He could have said, “Hey! Buddy! You need to go up to Jerusalem! I have a good reason to tell you to do it. Just Trust Me!” But that’s not what He does. He is making the trek with us. No map provided. No travel coupons included. No shade even offered. . . nor Kwik Trips along the way. Basically, We’re gonna hike it together. We can do this! Let’s go! (My personal
translation, here.)

We’re all in our own “valley” spots. We’ve been following Him. Sometimes He seems “missing-in-action,’ . . . but He never is. And when those times come and He asks us to do something outside of the ‘usual,’ we might hesitate . . . question . . . start making our list of plans. That’s only human, right?

But His Response is usually quite simple. “Let’s go.” And that is enough.

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Never Too Young For God to Speak

“You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High.
You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare His Way,
You will make his people know that they can be saved through the forgiveness of their sins.
A new day will dawn on us from above
because our God is loving and merciful.”
Luke 1:76-78

They had longed for and prayed for God to give them a child, but their age had made it an
impossible dream. They had been faithful servants of the God of Israel, but any hope of having a baby of their own was gone.

But God’s Timing is perfect.

When Zechariah and Elizabeth had passed the point of “possibility” . . . God gave them John,
and He laid out His Plan for that pre-born baby boy. Speaking to the tiny life growing in
Elizabeth’s womb, God gave the child His Purpose, and his name: John. He would be the
Voice in the desert, announcing and preparing his nation for the One soon to come into the
world during John’s lifetime. The mission God would give their son in his adult life:
Announcing and preparing his nation for the Messiah’s coming. All those years of longing for a baby. . . and Hope was gone. Only God’s Intervention could make it possible.

And He did. . . in a direct Communication from God, while still in his mama’s womb, God gave
that tiny human his Purpose in life. His message would be laying the Groundwork for the
coming Messiah, already being “knit together” in his Cousin Mary’s womb.

God gives us a Glimpse of how and who He uses to carry out His Words, Love, and Purposes in this world. Luke, a chosen disciple of Jesus, gives us through his writings, a glimpse of God’s preparations through un-likely people . . . even infants and small children . . . to join Him in bringing His Light into our dark world. Sometimes even little ones give us pearls of wisdom that come through the mouths of babes…a most unexpected source.

May we be willing and obedient “children” to listen to our Father’s Words and speak them in a dark world waiting for His Light.

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Feeling Forgotten?

“Although mothers may forget,
I will not forget you.
I have engraved you on
the palms of My Hands.”
Isaiah 49:15-16

I need to make little reminders to myself, but not at a convenient moment when I have a piece of paper and a pencil handy. So, I will make the note on my own hand. That way I’m sure not to lose it in the bottom of my purse or the floor of my car.

I find it very interesting that God refers His Words about “forgetting” to mothers. I don’t sense any condemnation or criticism in His Words. . . rather a universal reality acknowledging the seemingly endless pieces of information for which mothers have to keep track on a daily . . . hourly. . . minute-by-minute basis concerning the children, people, and details in her life. Some of those details we do simply forget.

Because mothers are usually the more present parent in their child’s life, she becomes the one to whom her children automatically look as their frequent needs and desires come to their little minds and hearts.

It’s been a common scenario since the beginning of Time.

Feeling forgotten by a parent is a painful experience. If the one who gave birth to you is gone, there is a human nature dynamic that is instinctual . . . not contrived nor imposed. It’s a part of the “wiring” that God used from the Beginning of His Creation of life on this earth between the “Birth-er” and the “Birth-ee.”

But it’s also a part of human nature to forget. But, by God’s perfect Design, the seemingly most impossible “forgetting” situation would be that of a mother forgetting her child. It would be like forgetting your own arm or leg. Someone who had been divinely a part of her own body will always have that Created link, no matter what may damage that in life.

What a profound parallel God makes to that global Truth that has been in existence since Creation! It’s an example to which every human being can relate since The Beginning.
Our Father in Heaven, Who brought human life into existence by His Own Hands, not through a womb, has each of us permanently imprinted there. On His Hand.

The only thing He forgets is the sin His Son’s Blood has covered.

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The Vine (with a twist)

“I am the Vine….you are the branches.
Abide in Me…and you will live.”

John 15:5

This morning, checking my little flower garden beside my back porch, I discovered, much to my delight and surprise, that my favorite flowering vine had sent out a new little tendril, which had somehow reached, through mid-air, to a tall shepherd’s hook about a yard away from the blossoming vine. There was nothing but air between the vine and the shepherd’s hook to which it had now begun to wind itself.

I was delighted . . . yet surprised and puzzled. I know, from the growing bouquet of bright red, large blossoms, that the shepherd’s hook will soon extend that original beautiful “bouquet” further into the garden far beyond what I could have hoped.

I couldn’t help but think of the Words of Jesus, as He taught His dear followers, using a word picture they were seeing as they walked with Him in the countryside.

My dear, Good Shepherd Whispered to my heart the Words He had spoken to His closest followers as they walked along with Him.

I don’t know how that Vine reached across the space and onto that shepherd’s hook. I did not see it happen. But carried by nothing tangible, it had reached beyond where it was planted and blooming, and was now beginning to bring beauty to a plain old, rusty-black shepherd’s staff among the stones.

That’s what Jesus does with us . . . for us. Apart from Him…the Vine….we’re sure to become a shriveled, droopy, dying blossom. We’ll hit the ground eventually, and again become part of the earth.

But the blossoms still connected to the Vine continue to bring color and life and beauty to a landscape of rocks and dirt. A vine moves…extends…and nobody sees it happen. It simply does. And its blossoms will come, open,and bring beauty to a spot that had nothing but stones and a plain, rusty pole.

I am sure that I will soon see that Shepherd’s Hook “blooming” soon.

Our Good…GOOD Shepherd does that as He leads us to places beyond where we were planted. And through our lives that are wrapped around Him, beauty…color…fragrance…
will extend to the rocky places that had no beauty nor life before. It often happens in unexpected ways, and not by human orchestration. That’s part of what makes it so special.

No person can take credit for the new color and fragrance that has entered a plain, rocky place. He simpy chooses to share His surprises in unexpected places where He has brought new life and all ofits beauty.

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Little Bird

“Aren’t five sparrows sold for two cents?
God doesn’t forget any of them.”
Luke 12:6

She poked with her little beak from inside her shell. A glimmer of light peeked in and began to illuminate her dark, protective space. She liked that! Her tiny eyes began to see the only space she knew, and the light beyond, which was calling to her.

Soon she was free, able to fluff her soft down that was drying in the fresh air she was breathing for the first time. She began to try out her wings and learn to spread them out from their long, cramped shell-time. Mama Bird brought a little food, and Little Bird instinctively opened her tiny beak. Yum! She decided to just keep her little beak open . . . ready for the next tasty morsel of food.

Each day, she grew stronger. Her feathers began to appear through the soft down. She
practiced flapping her little wings. Mama brought little bugs and seeds for her. But one day,
Mama didn’t come. Little Bird had to find her own bugs as she waited in her nest.

She remembers the day when Mama came, but with no food. She had decided it was time to send Little Bird out of the nest. It was scary! Her wings did not work very well yet. She had never been out in the air by herself.

Her fall was rather traumatic, but she somehow was able to flap her little wings enough to
soften the blow of the earth upon which she landed. This strange new space upon which she now must learn seemed unending. It was full of interesting, yet scary, new discoveries.
In her fall, one of her little wings had been damaged. She had to learn new skills to compensate for her wounded wing. She couldn’t fly like the other birds. Her flight style was tough. . . She couldn’t soar. She could “flap” and get around her earth space enough to survive, but it was not with the freedom and grace of other birds.

But God’s Eye was on her. He knew of her fall and of the damage it had caused to her. And she knew instinctively that He was keeping watch.

One day, a handsome male bird caught her attention. And she caught his. He was strong. He
was safe. He wanted to make a nest with her. He had chosen her.

At first, it was exciting . . . wonderful . . . lovely. But over time, the damage done by her
premature first flight would get in the way of her ability to soar as other birds did. She had to find ways to compensate. She had to be tough, to make up for the damage done by her fledgling wounds. “Normal” was not easy for her. She was not like most birds of her little world. Her old wounds affected her ability to truly “soar.” But she could flap well… not as gracefully or easily as most, but she learned to compensate enough to make her life work.

Her damaged wing would never be completely mended, but she was still the same little bird who had freed herself from her shell. She was strong. She could fly, in her own unique way.
She was still that little bird who had survived and learned how to compensate for the wounds she carries. And one day, as she continues to battle her limitations, she may truly be able to soar, in her own unique way.

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Knowing Who You Are

“”The Father had put everything in Jesus’ control.
Jesus knew that.
He also knew that He had come from God and was going back to God.
So He got up from the table,
Removed His outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around His waist.
Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel He had tied around His waist.”
John 13:3-5

Do you know who you are? . . . Who you truly are? In our world, there is quite a lot of focus
on self-discovery. Self-image. Self-worth. Human dignity. Coming to personal clarity about the answers to those questions is important. That clarity has an impact on how we choose to live out our lives.

Looking at Jesus’ example, though, throws a perspective that, in my mind, does not at all fit
human logic. In human thinking, someone who has “come from God” and “was going back to God” would be miles above and ahead of mere mortals. He would be far above human
intelligence, abilities, status and power. He would be the one being served . . .at the highest
levels.

But immediately following the statement of Who He was, what His power encompassed, and the future position He would hold, He walked away from His position, removed His human personal identity, and replaced it with a servant’s towel. He not only looked the part of a servant, but He did what a good servant would do. One by one. Taking the time. . . foot by dirty foot . . . wiping away the dust and dirt that gets between toes and in the nails and rough calluses of feet that have been walking on the dusty, dirty ground of this earth. The bowl of water is on the ground.

The foot-washer is kneeling on the ground in front of you. You are seeing the water become
cloudy and dirty from what is being removed from your feet. You are feeling the hands that are touching, holding, and wiping . . . even between those rough, calloused, dirty toes . . .

There is nothing pleasant nor simple about the process the “foot-washer” carries out.
But the Hands that are doing the work are such a beautiful Gift. Truly a tangible act of love and care.

I had an experience in the desert refugee camps that I will never forget. Totally exhausted, I
had sat down on the floor of the tent, leaning against a hard cushion propped against the “wall” of the tent, and fallen into a sound sleep. I remember slowly becoming aware of my foot being cradled in a gentle hand, and cool water being tenderly wiped across my foot…between my toes, ….around my nails. One foot . . . and then the other.

One of the women of our team was kneeling at my feet as I slept, with a basin of clean water and a soft cloth. As I slowly drifted back to awareness, the tender act of kindness and care was like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was too wonderful to protest. The harshness of the desert . . . the exhaustion of this world . . . all faded away as those gentle hands wiped away the evidence that clung to my skin.

It was a soft Kiss from Heaven to my soul. Jesus does that for us, if we let Him.
So grab a towel . . . and a basin of fresh water. Down on your knees . . . touch your world.

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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…

“Now we see a blurred image in a mirror;
Then…we will see very clearly.
Now my knowledge is incomplete.
Then I will have complete knowledge,
As God has complete knowledge of me.”
1 Corinthians 13:12

How often in a day do you look in a mirror? What are some of the thoughts that go
through your mind as you are looking? (I’ll give you a moment to honestly think on that…) 😉

I have never counted the times in a day that I look in a mirror. Whether it’s a glance, or
a close-up focus, … with lighting, or in my car. Each morning it is an essential part of
my routine.

When I am in the desert, however, it is not easy to find a mirror. IF there is one, it is
usually a “cloudy” reflection (which can be a blessing, considering the scarcity of
cosmetic supplies there!) Often, my first mirror experience after leaving the desert is a
rather jolting moment, followed by a frantic search through my carry-on bag for the
emergency implements and products I hope I brought with me! Thankfully, in the
camps, most of my face is covered, and not an issue. . . unless the wind grabs my
gauzy wrap that was tucked in place for just such an event.

Our culture makes a big deal of our outward appearance. It’s a part of our human
nature. Ancient cultures also valued outward appearance. Scripture includes many stories and mentions of outward appearance. In ancient times, “mirrors” were metal surfaces that
had been polished to make a reflection possible. (check out your metal pots to see how
well they reflect your face! Paul’s “blurred image” makes a lot of sense!)

The way we see ourselves personally and spiritually is not with a high quality mirror.
What we see is not with the clarity and detail of the reality. God sees the reality. Plus,
He knows how we see ourselves. He knows the blurred vision we have of ourselves.
Some of us see a great image looking back at us. But most of us see the flaws. That is
likely the most common reason for looking in the mirror. . . wanting to improve our
reflection, not to admire it.

What a sweet Perspective dear Paul gives about that part of our human nature. It
clearly includes our spiritual nature, as well. We are looking at ourselves through a very
scratched, flawed, distorted lens. We are seeing our human reality with our human
eyes. It is not a very good picture!

BUT….someday…when God is showing each of us the way He sees us, you….me….,
and we are seeing what He sees without the “dimness” through our human lens, it will
be through the Lens of His dearly loved Son. . . Who valued us ….loved us….enough to
be “in the Mirror” with us for all of Eternity.

He is in that Picture now, with each one who has come near to Him, and let Him come
near to them.

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When They Say “You Can’t!”

“I can do all through Christ,
Who strengthens me.”
Philippians 4:13

We were young, pouring our energies and hearts into a fledgling “street ministry.” We also had a tiny, newborn son. Taking our seats at the desk of a tax accountant to whom we had been referred, we waited for her to begin our meeting. As she looked up from our financial documents before her, she said, “I didn’t know that anyone in America can actually live on what you make!”

Thus began our first income tax meeting as a new, young family. My husband, Bill, had been
pouring his energies into reaching out to the growing numbers of troubled youth on the main street of our city. There were increasing incidences of outbreaks of violence, a developing concern with which the people of our city were becoming increasingly alarmed. Bill, who had been a troubled teenager and drug-user, had a big heart for the kids who were without any sense of purpose in life. He knew the turmoil going on inside, because he had lived through years of the same.

I, on the other hand, was a “pastor’s kid” . . . who had never even been exposed to troubled
youth who had no awareness or experience of the loving God I had come to know and love from a very early age.

When Bill and I married, our new family began immediately. Bill’s focus was on reaching the
troubled youth of our city, introducing them to Hope through Jesus, Who had changed Bill’s life. We had no “income” from our fledgling work with troubled youth.

As a “PK” (Pastor’s Kid), I was very familiar with “ministry” being a priority in life….regardless of whether income was adequate or not. It was usually not. But I had experienced God’s care and provision often in my family, so had a firm trust that God would take care of our needs as we trusted Him in the Kingdom efforts He had placed before us.

At this, our first meeting with a tax agent as a young married couple, including our newborn son, we watched her look through the financial paperwork we had brought to her. On paper, it did not look possible for our little family to survive on those financial numbers. But we had been faithfully cared for by the God Who had asked us to join Him in bringing Hope to hearts of kids who were empty and wounded. . . and without Hope.

Despite the black-and-white numbers on the tax documents, God had met our needs. And He often did it through sweet surprises from strangers, or Believers who saw a growing trail of “street kids” filing down the aisle behind Bill in a welcoming church, filling up row upon row of pews, and singing songs of gratitude to the One Who had brought Hope and Light and Love into their personal darkness.

Now, decades later, and having experienced a lifetime of holding tightly to Jesus’ scarred Hand, I am so very grateful for His Presence in my life. . . . through the good and the bad. He has been that Constant Source of Strength . . . and all that I have needed through the many
decades I have walked with Him. He remains faithful.