Devotion for the Week of June 2, 2008

The Master Jeweler

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you…And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:6-7, 10-11

Back in January the tip of one of the prongs holding the diamond in my engagement ring broke off. Worried that the diamond would fall out, I took the ring off and put it in my jewelry box until I could get it fixed. It sat there week after week, month after month…broken.

At first I missed the ring, but I soon convinced myself that it was in the safest place (totally disregarding the fact that it was in the most obvious place a robber would look and that our neighborhood had been having a rash of brazen daytime home invasions). After a while, I got used to not wearing it and liked the look of just my wedding band. In a sense, the broken engagement ring missing from my finger became a part of “me,” the same as my chewed finger nails, my crooked smile, and my playing with my hair at stop lights. I would even tell others about it, as if they really cared! Until finally, getting it fixed didn’t seem too urgent. After all, it was still there, sitting in the jewelry box, safe.

My husband asked me on several occassions when I was going to get it fixed. Each time there was an excuse and a promise to not keep putting it off. But still it sat.

Why was I so hesitant to take it to be repaired? You see..I didn’t trust the jeweler. I did not have the surety that the diamond I took in to be repaired would be the diamond I would get back. I didn’t want to be cheated, lied to…conned. How would I know if he slipped a lesser diamond in the setting, or even a cubic zirconia? By keeping my ring in the jewelry box, it may be broken, but it was still safe…still mine.

How often have I considered God in the same light as that supposedly untrustworthy jeweler? How often have I kept a tight grasp on circumstances, hurts, confusion, bad theology, and many other things that should have been laid at the feet of God? How often have I not trusted or submitted to God because I was afraid of being cheated, lied to, or conned into something I didn’t want? How often have I questioned His reputation, His character…His trustworthiness? How often have I deceived myself into thinking that by holding on to my brokenness and storing it in the “jewelry box” of my soul, I was keeping control over it…keeping it “safe?” After all, wasn’t it “safer” that way than the unknown reality called “being healed”? And because of this, how often have I settled with being broken instead of submitting myself to Him to be healed?…Too often.

I finally got my nerve up and took the ring in to be repaired last week. Upon examination, the jeweler remarked that not only did that one broken prong need to be rebuilt, but that the other prongs were too thin and weak, as well, and needed to be strengthened. If he fixed the broken one, but not the others, I risked losing the diamond anyway. The jeweler took my ring behind the glass wall and began an overhaul work on it. I pretended not to be watching him like a hawk by hiding behind a book. After a few minutes of this I realized that I couldn’t just sit there for the next hour watching every move he made. I chose to trust him. I removed myself to the customer lounge area and waited until he was done.

The ring the jeweler returned to me was not only rebuilt, but strengthened and cleaned, as well. And, it was brilliant! The sunlight danced through the prisms and bounced rainbows across the walls.

So it is with God. When we trust Him with our circumstances…if we let Him fix our brokenness…if we allow ourselves to be rebuilt…He is not only faithful to heal us and rebuild us, but He will also strengthen us and “clean us.” Then we will shine with His light as it bounces throughout the prisms of our life, casting rainbows of hope and promises for others to see.

And what of the Master Jeweler himself? God in His holiness and in His perfect love is incapable of cheating me, lying to me…conning me. He won’t switch my “diamonds” for cubic zirconia fakes. Instead, He takes my “diamonds” and repairs them, strengthens them, cleans them, and makes them far more valuable than a broken one sitting in a jewelry box. We can trust in His reputation and in His character. He can be trusted to be faithful and good. God is a God of love and longs to lavish each one of us not only with His love, but with His healing power, to use each circumstance for our good and His glory, to make us whole…to make us shine with His light…to give each of us a promise and a hope…If we trust Him.

My engagement ring is back on my finger, where it should be. And slowly but surely, my circumstances, my hurt, my confusion, my bad theology, my brokenness…all that I hold on to, is being taken out of the jewelry box of my soul and laid at the feet of a trustworthy, loving, faithful God…where it should be.

Abba, Father,

Thank You for Your lavish love. Thank You for Your understanding of my questioning, my hesitation, my doubts. and even my anger. And in Your compassion, You still patiently pursue me and draw me to You-to a place of rest and of hope and of promise. Thank You for Your trustworthiness. Help me to lay at Your feet all that is broken, all that needs to be repaired, all that needs to be rebuilt, strengthened and cleaned. I trust in Your faithfulness and Your goodness. Let me shine with the brilliance of Your light.

In Your son, Jesus,’ precious name, Amen.

Watch the Women of Faith’s Worship Team sing “Trading My Sorrows (Yes Lord)” by Darrell Evans:

A Heavy Heart

I came across Angie Smith’s blog a few days ago and began reading her story about the recent loss of their daughter, Audrey Caroline. Angie is the wife of Todd Smith, a member of the Christian music group, Selah. Though it was late at night, I couldn’t stop reading till I had read all of the entries, alternating between tears streaming down my cheeks and laughter over the bits of joy sprinkled throughout. It was with shock when today I read her latest entries about the sudden death of their 2 1/2 month old nephew, Luke, just seven weeks after losing their own newborn daughter. Luke is the son of Todd’s sister, Nicol, formerly with Selah, as well. My heart is heavy for the loss and pain this family has had to endure. Combined with the tragic death of Maria Sue, Steven Curtis Chapman’s (another Christian singer) 5 year old daughter just last week, it seems too much to take in and understand. Please pray for these families.

Lord,

I beg for your mercy for these families. Give them a comfort and a peace that passes all understanding. Sustain them, hold them close. Let them trust in Your faithfulness.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Angie Smith\’s blog

Steven Curtis Chapman\’s Web Site

Devotion for the Week of May 26, 2008…Part II

“Am I Smarter Than a First Grader?”

“A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17

I spent a lovely morning doing one of my favorite things about being a parent…attending a school presentation. My daughter’s first grade class had written and illustrated a book that the teacher then had published into hardbound copies. The students had picked the theme of the book, and each one wrote a page and illustrated it. To honor their effort, the teacher had the parents come this morning to hear the children read their pages and to stay for cookies and lemonade.

I love first grade. It’s possibly because I remember with fondness my own first grade teacher-a Miss Kiser with long, shiny blond hair and lots of beautiful freckles all over. I love the innocence the children still have. I love their pure joy in simple things that adults easily overlook. I love the amazing strides they make not just academically, but in all aspects of their being. And, I love the simplistic, yet vital, foundation of information that they learn…. 2+2=4, “I like to a-a-at apples and bananas…,” and if you put grass seeds in a cup of soil and add water and sun, it grows into grass. Everything is simple yet vital, innocent, downscaled…it’s a magical world.

I arrived early and settled into my miniature chair, checked the camera, exchanged greetings with the other parents and waited eagerly for the presentation to begin. The children had picked the theme of friendship and the title of their book was How to be a Good Friend. They took turns standing and reading their one page of wisdom…of what it takes to be a good friend. My daughter was up first and was halfway through reading by the time I got the camera working. One by one each child stood and imparted their wisdom on the adults assembled. The parents smiled, took pictures and affirmed their children. But did anyone actually listen to what these children had written? I don’t mean just hear…I mean listen?

I thought about it as I sat there. The cynic in me was amused by their naivety and thought “What do these children know about relationships? Everything is simple to them. Their problems are simple. Their interpersonal dynamics are simple. Not like the complexity of adult relationships. Wait till they grow up and get a taste of what it’s like to have real difficulties in relationships.” But another side of me said, “Jamie…listen to what they are saying. Perhaps it really is just this simple.”

In our rush to grow up to be adults we lose our simplicity, our innocence…our foundational truths. Perhaps these first graders really are smarter than us adults. Perhaps we need to downsize our pride, our status, our rights, our complacency, our cynicism toward others, our self-absorption, our motives and hidden agendas in our relationships with others, our selfishness, the complexity we add to relationships, and the shallow things that we value. Perhaps we need to get back to the basics…to the vital foundation of how to relate to others. Perhaps we need to listen, really listen, to what these first graders had to say:

“You can be a good friend by helping people if they’re hurt. If they don’t have anyone to play with you can play with them. And if they don’t know what to do, then you can help them to know what to do.”

“The way to be a good friend is to cheer someone when they are sad.”

“You also have to remind them to be quiet in the hallway.”

“If you are at lunch and someone wants to sit right beside you don’t tell them that they can’t sit there. That would hurt their feelings.”

“If someone is lonely you can play with them.”

“The way to be a good friend is to always tell the truth.”

“The way to be a good friend is to say nice words like that’s nice, good, beautiful, friend, good job, like those.”

“If they are sick you can do stuff for them.”

“The way to be a good friend is to play fair with friends. Try not to cheat and play by the rules.”

“If they drop their crayons, help them pick the crayons up.”

“I would never be mean to my friend.”

“You can be a good friend by not being mean or bossy.”

“Be nice to people.”

“Treat them how they want to be treated.”

“To be a good friend share your toys.”

“To be a good friend is to help people up.”

“If someone didn’t have a pencil I could give them one.”

“The way to be a good friend is by helping.”

“I share my toys. I play nice.”

“Don’t forget to eat with them.”

“You can be a good friend by sharing lunch, if they don’t have lunch.”

“You could be sure about telling the truth and making sure everything is ok.”

“”If someone is hurt you ask them are you okay?”

“If someone is being mean to your friend and knocks them down, pick your friend up.”

“Tell the teacher if they get hurt.”

“To be a good friend you could play with them.”

“Get them to a doctor and make sure they are okay…This is the way I can be a good friend.”

Caring, sharing, honesty, selflessness, helping, giving, encouraging, kindness, playing, eating, and loving…it’s that simple. Thank you Mrs. Whitmire’s first grade class for reminding us adults what it means to be a good friend. Thank you for letting us into your magical world of simplicity…truth…and friendship. And, thank you for the cookies and lemonade…they were yummy!

Lord,

Thank you for this reminder of your truths. Help me not be too proud to really listen to what these children said and to be mindful of how I treat others. Help me to treat others with kindness, mercy, gentleness and love. Bless these precious children.

In your son, Jesus,’ precious name, Amen.

Devotion for the Week of May 26, 2008…Part I

Hi all!

Life has kept me too busy this past week. I will try to write a devotion for this week in the next day or two. Otherwise, I will post one next Monday. Have a great Memorial Day and remember to thank those who have served our country in the military.

Love and blessings, Jamie

Happy Birthday to Sam!

Updated: Here are a couple pictures of Sam and the Shih Tzu cake:

Today is our beloved dog Sam’s 14th birthday! And, as cheesy as this sounds, we are going to celebrate! We are just so happy that he has lived as long as he has. We are having a birthday party for him, including a Shih-Tzu shaped “cake” made of cupcakes and ice cream. If you are around, stop in for the party…it’s at 4 pm eastern time. (…any excuse to party and I like to keep my girls happy!)

My First Traffic Stop and My Foray Into Traffic Court

I had my first ever traffic stop about a year ago. The cop asked that loaded question, “Do you know why I stopped you?” I offered up “…Speeding?” When she said I had run a red light, all thoughts of protocol were out the car window. “I did not!” I hotly declared. “Tell it to the court.” she replied. “Oh, I will!” I promised.

And so, armed with a three inch thick file of “evidence” I had painstakingly compiled, including pictures, satellite views, diagrams, mathematical calculations demonstrating the impossibility of me running a red light while turning left through an intersection going 45 mph (unless I was a professional stunt driver taking the turn on two wheels) as per the ticket, a background check on the judge (whom I was going to remind that I had voted for him in the election), and three pages of questions I was going to “grill” the officer with to “bring her to her knees,” I arrived at traffic court. (Did I ever mention I had planned on being an attorney when I was in college?) My parting words to my husband that morning was that I was going to “shock and awe” the court with my legal abilities. (I told you my husband is long-suffering! )

Unfortunately, the only “shock and awe” that occurred when I entered the processing room at court was my “shock” at the officer barking orders at me like I was a criminal, and my “awe” at the size of the officers standing guard around the perimeter and at the door leading to the judge’s chambers. They were HUGE! I mean GIANTS! (I did glare at one thinking he was the same officer who had never paid up for a tax return I had prepared, but I couldn’t see his name badge to be sure.) I seriously contemplated folding like a house of cards and pleading guilty, paying the fine, and getting out of there! I sat clutching my purse and refused to make eye contact with all the other 150+ “criminals” in the room with me. I managed to stick it out for an hour, alternating between praying that I wouldn’t have a panic attack and trying to distract myself by reading a book I had brought along.

I never made it into the judge’s chambers. They called me up to process my case and I barely managed to stammer out a “not guilty.” The charges were dropped because of my clean record. It was over in 30 seconds, with me a blubbering fool the whole time. I did try to salvage a minuscule bit of pride when I asked if they validated parking. The lady gave me a quelling look and I hung my head and walked out.

Now this is how the traffic stop SHOULD have went:

P.S. The light was YELLOW when I entered the intersection! No…really…it was!!!

Devotion for the Week of May 19, 2008

“On the Mat with God”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.” Jeremiah 29:11-14a

Did you know that I’m a world-class athlete? That would come as a surprise to everyone who knows me. Not only is that surprising, but the sport I excel in is a surprise, too. It’s wrestling! My two older brothers both wrestled in high school and were both really good. Maybe I developed my wrestling skills from when they would practice wrestling moves on me-pinning me, practicing escapes, and putting me in half nelsons.

I learned of my exceptional talent while listening to Greg Laurie, a pastor/speaker/author, speak on a Christian radio station not too long ago. He told the Bible story of Jacob, and how he manipulated and wrestled with his brother, Esau, over the birthright and blessing. Then Jacob went on and was manipulated by and wrestled with Laban over Laban’s daughters, Rachel and Leah. (And in the process got a taste of his own medicine. Don’t you hate it when that happens?!) Jacob’s championship match was with God, Himself.

The match took place at night. (Isn’t it intriguing how God uses times of darkness, sometimes literally and many times figuratively, to bring us to the mat?) The next thing Jacob knew, there was a man there with him beside the stream and they wrestled all night long. Jacob refused to give up. At daybreak, the man touched Jacob in the hip socket to wrench it, but still Jacob would not give up. “Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”” (Genesis 32:26)

What was the outcome of the match? When daylight came to end the darkness, Jacob was given a new name, Israel, “because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:28b) And, he had come face to face with God, Himself, and received His blessing. He crossed the stream, limping, but a changed man. He became a man who pursued God’s sovereign plan for his life, instead of trying to manipulate and control things to fit his own plans.

My own championship wrestling match with God?…Let’s just say it has gone on for waaaay longer than one night. What are we wrestling over? The big stuff: Who’s going to be in charge of my life? Does God really keep His promises? Is He really good and can He really be trusted? And, most importantly, does God really love me and actually like me? [Just in case you are wondering…the answers (for both me and you) are God is in charge, yes-He is good, yes-He can be implicitly trusted, yes (incredibly so!), and yes (as surprising as that sounds)!]

God has an impressive array of moves…full nelsons (with my arms pulled back behind my neck-they’re illegal in some competitions, but God is careful not to break my neck using it) are situations where I feel trapped, I can’t move, and God has my full attention. There’s straight body scissors (where His legs are locked around my middle and squeezing) in circumstances where I feel squeezed or stretched beyond my comfort zone. He uses spread eagles (I’m sure you can picture that move) where circumstances find me face down and sprawled out as I cry out to the Lord for help or understanding. He also uses cradles (where He’s got me around the neck and one leg drawn up cradling me like a baby…and I’m usually crying like one, too!) where all I can do is just pray and cry out for His comfort and mercy. And, there’s the Saturday night ride. (I added that one ‘cause the name sounded fun!) It’s when He takes me for wild rides where all I can do is hold on.

What moves do I bring to the mat? I’m not good on the offensive, but I’ve got the defensive moves down! I have mastered all kinds of escapes. There’s the “He’ll leave me alone if I serve Him or if I am “good” enough” or the “Let me stay busy focused on fluff and not worry about the stuff that really matters to God” escapes. Or, there’s the “I’ll try to out run Him in circles around the mat,” or the “Fill my head with knowledge of God and be able to talk a good game, so I don’t have to let it actually reach my heart” escapes. And, there’s the one that I like to use rather frequently, the “But God, you let such-and-such happen, how can I trust You now?” escape.

If those don’t work I try distraction techniques, “Yeah God, that’s true about me, but look at what so-and-so’s doing. Shouldn’t you be taking them to the mat instead?” and the “Quit paying attention to what I’m doing. Shouldn’t you be concerned with more important things like the famine and health disasters in Africa or the havoc natural disasters are causing elsewhere?” But my favorite defensive move is the deadweight move, similar to sandbagging. I go limp and refuse to cooperate.

I’ve been called for plenty of penalties during the match. There have been countless technical violations like stalling and interlocking hands. (a.k.a. stubbornness and hardheadedness.) And I’ve been called for unsportsmanlike conduct more times than I care to remember.

I wish I could say that daybreak has come and that the match is over. But I continue to wrestle. Like Jacob, I will persevere and pursue God with all of my strength. I can say I have been touched in my hip socket and now have a limp, figuratively speaking. And, I think I see the beginning of a glorious sunrise on the horizon.

What are you wrestling with God over? What moves have you perfected? Stay on the mat and persevere in your pursuit of God!

Lord,

I thank You and praise You for loving me so much that You are willing to go to and stay on the mat with me…that You pursue me, and that You never give up on me. Give me the courage and faith to believe and let me trust in the goodness of Your lavish love that You demonstrated by sending Your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for me, to pay my debt.

In Your son, Jesus,’ precious name, Amen.

Devotion for the Week of May 12, 2008

“Survival of the Fittest”

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

We have a beloved dog named Sam who will turn 14 at the end of this month. That’s around 84 in people years and poor Sam is showing his age. According to one pessimistic vet he was supposed to have died over two years ago, but he’s still here. He is deaf, too skinny, severely balding, missing numerous teeth, likes to sleep for most of the day, and walks with bad limps on both back legs and one front leg. And, he has attitude!

In his younger days he loved to chase the squirrels that run around in our back yard. A couple times he came within inches of getting one. He gave up the chase a couple years ago and just watches with a look of bored tolerance as they run around frolicking in our back yard.

While most people hate squirrels, I have pampered them. I bought them their own squirrel food and set it out regularly. We have the largest, laziest squirrels I have ever seen. I knew I had taken the pampering thing too far when one day I looked out and a squirrel was laying on its back on the pillow of our hammock, just chillin.’ There was iced lemonade in a glass with a cute umbrella straw on the table beside it, and I believe it was reading a miniature copy of Pride & Prejudice!

A couple Saturdays ago we had to rush Sam to the Emergency Vet. He had fallen over on his side, and when we stood him back up, he fell again. Of course, as it is with some “emergencies,” by the time we got him to the vet he was back to normal. The doctor prescribed a pain medication and sent us on our way.

We have kept a closer eye on Sam since the vet visit, so you can imagine our concern when we looked for him one afternoon and couldn’t find him anywhere. After several minutes, my daughter and I found him in the back yard. At first we thought he was just sniffing around, but when we looked closer, he had a squirrel in his mouth! I won’t go into the gorry details of those next minutes…let’s just say pandemonium broke out. There was a lot of screaming, shoes were thrown in an attempt to get Sam to drop the squirrel, we yelled for help from my husband who was on a conference call for work, and when Sam finally gave it up, I nearly became sick to my stomach. So much for “survival of the fittest.”

Sam defied human “logic” (and that squirrel’s “logic,” too!) when he managed to finally get it. So it is with God. As He proclaims in His word, “…my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” His thoughts and ways defy human “logic.”

Human “logic” proclaims “survival of the fittest” as a way to be successful in life. God’s way proclaims “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”(Matthew 19:30), and “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

Human “logic” tells us we have the right to control our lives and live as we please. God’s thoughts say “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15).

Human “logic” (particularly American logic) says we are to spend our lives accumulating stuff, while God’s way says “…the righteous give without sparing” (Proverbs 21:26b).

Human “logic” says there are many ways to God and we can believe whatever we want to believe. God says “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead…Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10b, 12) and “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life…Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16, 18).

Human “logic” says there is no God. God’s thoughts say “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”" (Psalm 14:1b).

What are you setting your wisdom by? What rules do you use to guide how you live your life?…The world’s “logic” or God’s higher ways and thoughts? Just as that squirrel falsely relied on “survival of the fittest,” so too, we can falsely rely on faulty human logic. The result will be just as tragic.

Father,

We thank You for Your Truth , for Your thoughts and ways, that You have given through Your Word, the Bible. Give us the humbleness and wisdom to read it, send Your Holy Spirit to allow it to speak to us, and give us the courage to follow Your perfect ways. Let us not lean on our own understanding and logic, but on Your Truth.

In Your son’s precious name, Jesus, Amen.

“Glorious One”

It was a GREAT morning of praising and worshiping God at church today. Not only did we sing my two favorites, “Amazing Grace” and “Might to Save” (See videos in April 28, 2008 post), but I now have another fun praise song! It is “Glorious One” by Steve Fee. Crank it loud and praise Jesus for who He is…The “Glorious One!”

New Neighbors!…Again.

Apparently the mortgage crisis has hit the bird housing market as well. It seems our lovely chickadee couple and their darling sextuplets have fled in the middle of the night to avoid foreclosure. (Is anyone safe from these unscrupulous mortgage lending practices?) I believe we have identified the culprit.

A few weeks ago my husband witnessed a wren checking out the place. First, it sat on the railing by the bird house, assessing it. It made its way to the roof, and then tried to take a peek inside the house from the perch. Momma chickadee ran it off in a fuss. Suspiciously, there are now five white and brown speckled eggs in the nest inside…the very number wrens lay. Hmmm…makes you wonder who was holding the chickadees’ mortgage!

We have not met the newest neighbors…haven’t even seen them around. It will be interesting to see just how long they will stay. Instead of putting forth the effort to make them a cake…I think I’ll just take them store bought cookies.