Defeating Crankiness and Filling Your Life with Joy

Throughout my lifetime, I have reacted to criticism and disagreement in a cranky and negative way. It has become apparent to me that I tend to not look at constructive feedback as a gift that will help me be better at serving others. Instead, I get irritated and hurt, which is a sign that I bear pride in me. As we launch the New Year, our Heavenly Father is emphasizing to me that I need to defeat my crankiness, respond gratefully to otherswho offer me their insights, and live the rest of my life without pridefulness in my heart.

 

So often during our lifetime, I do believe that our Heavenly Father motivates people to share with us the feedback that He wants us to receive. Being receptive to considering the guidance that we are offered can be a pathway to the transformation of our sinful hearts and the effectiveness of our service to others. Like all of the other verses in the Bible, Psalm 131: 1 – 3 offers me an insightful message from our Heavenly Father, which tells me that a trust in God is the basis for our contentment in life. 

 

Psalm 131:1-3

My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. 

 

Note who stills and quiets our soul. It is our responsibility. I have found that I successfully accomplish that task when I invite the Holy Spirit to govern my heart and my desires. After I pray, I tell myself to have no more anxiety in my heart, as it is a barrier between me and others on this planet and our Heavenly Father. I also remember the insights offered in Proverbs 15:1 that tell me when I am gracious others will be kind to me, and, if I am not, I will make them angry. 

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

 

I know that I need to trust in my Heavenly Father and be content in the life that He has given me. I believe that Proverbs 29:23 confirms that my crankiness is born from my pridefulness and that my humility will bring me honor. 

 

Proverbs 29:23

A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

 

Proverbs 29:22 confirms that having anger in our heart is a prelude to sinful responses. 

 

Proverbs 29:22

An angry man stirs up dissention, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

 

Reading Colossians 3:5-10, I find my New Year Resolution. 

 

Colossians 3:5-10

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 

 

In this lifetime, I am now putting on a new self and match my conduct with my faith in Jesus Christ. Since I am a Christian, I should act like I am. No more crankiness in my lifetime, as I want my love and respect for others to draw them to our Heavenly Father, who I love and in whom I trust and have faith.When I respond lovingly and respectfully, others will tend to be receptive when I testify about my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for reminding me that my crankiness in this lifetime is emblematic of the pridefulness of my heart. When I behave in a loving and respectful way, others will be receptive to listening to my testimony of my faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and will be grateful to have me in their life. The alteration of my behavior is advanced by following my responsibility of leaning on the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I pray to you to help me behave respectfully when I receive constructive feedback from others by filling me with your Holy Spirit always. Amen! 

 

A Demonstration of God’s Love

In Ephesians 4:11 -16, Paul shared some wonderful insights about how our service to and love for others will create an opportunity to testify about our faith in Jesus Christ. He urged us to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. The following verses share his reflections on how Jesus dedicates us to serving our Heavenly Father in various ways and how we build the body of Christ in love.

Ephesians 4:11 – 16

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves; and blow here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

So many of us have talents that allow us to school others in faith and draw them to our Heavenly Father. As is emphasized by Paul, our love for others becomes an instrument for drawing them to Him. During our lives, there are so many ways to testify about our faith in God and demonstrate what a wonderful Heavenly Father we enjoy. As a disciple for our Heavenly Father, we can use our love for others to draw them to Him.

Recently, the Lord demonstrated to me that when I love others, even those I don’t minister to, it creates an opportunity for me testify about my faith in Him and how He sets an aspirational standard for our lives. We all inherit health gifts from the parents we love. My genetic gifts of osteoporosis and pre-diabetes have motivated me to do a worship walk every morning. As I stroll about 2.5 miles through my neighborhood listening to Christian tunes, I often see crappy trash lying throughout my neighborhood. For some reason, I felt called to start picking it up.

As I started this ritual, I picked up a few things here and there and then tossed them in the dumpsters in my townhouse community. When the pandemic began, I stopped because I didn’t feel that it was safe. Just a few days after this decision, I experienced a puncture of one of my tires as I drove over something trashy. I consider the $117 that I had to spend on a new tire a calling by God to demonstrate my love for others by protecting them from experiencing the same tragedy.

After my friend Terry gave me some plastic gloves to protect my health, I began once again to pick up trash, but in a very determined way. In recent months, more and more individuals have praised me for my efforts. In those moments of praise, I share with them how our Heavenly Father laid on my heart that I need to demonstrate my love for my wonderful neighbors by protecting their vehicles and preserving the beauty of our community.

More and more often, I am getting praised, and more and more I verbally turn that praise to our Heavenly Father who motivated me to serve them and to confirm that I love them.

Jesus proclaimed that our love for our Lord and for others is the greatest commandment of our lives.

Mark 12:29 – 31

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”    

This new methodology in my life of loving my neighbors allows me to celebrate our Heavenly Father in my community and invite others to see our Heavenly Father as the loving, protecting God who He is.

No Match For Our God

“So the LORD our God gave into our hand Og also, the king of Bashan, … All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars …” Deut. 3:3-5 

“…with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves…” Deut. 4:37-38

 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land … and clears away many nations before you …nations more numerous and mightier than yourselves …” Deut. 7:1

 “Hear, O Israel: you are to cross over the Jordan today, to go in to disposses nations greater and mightier than yourselves, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of Anakim … Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the LORD your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you.” Deut. 9:1-3

 Do you see the emphasis in these passages? Moses reminded the Israelites time and again, that it was only God’s mighty hand that gave and would continue to give them the victory over nations that were mightier, more powerful and more numerous than they. They were able to defeat peoples in heavily fortified cities with walls “up to heaven” and even nations inhabited by giants, purely because of their God. Moses was relentless in reminding Israel of the marvelous deeds the LORD had already performed on their behalf, against insurmountable odds, in conquering nations for His people on the east side of the Jordan.

Surely they would be encouraged by the power and faithfulness of God to step out in faith and obedience to take possession of the inheritance He had promised on the west side of the Jordan. What an amazing time in Israel’s history! God Almighty had enabled this fledgling nation to do what was against all odds. Through Jehovah’s power and strength, Israel was doing what would have been inconceivable on their own. They were weaker, less numerous, less skilled than their foes and, as desert nomads, they were certainly not afforded the protection of fortified cities…some of which were inhabited by giants! All put together, the odds for Israel to experience any kind of victory against these pagan nations was clearly stacked against them.

 But the nation of Israel had something no other nation had…more accurately, they had SOMEONE. The LORD God Almighty, the Lord of hosts, was on their side … and that made ALL the difference! As the LORD God promised to go before them and battle on their behalf, victory was certain. The so-called “human advantages” which their enemies seemed to possess, such as military skill, army size, fortified cities or even giants, were no match for the power, presence and greatness of Israel’s God. Despite the fear, insecurity, anxiety and uncertainties that the people surely must have wrestled with, Israel’s part was simply to remember who their God was, believe in His promises, step out in faith and obedience and continue to walk in trust as they conquered nations and took possession of the land.

 Much like Israel before crossing the Jordan, aren’t we all facing unprecedented challenges these days with the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic? Doesn’t it sometimes seem like the odds are now stacked against us? How many are feeling overwhelmed, anxious and struggling with the reality of job loss, the stock-market plunge, local business shut-downs and unavailability of essential goods? Who isn’t tempted with the fear of contracting the virus or who isn’t affected by the stress of social distancing and isolation from family, loved ones and friends? Don’t our circumstances sometimes seem insurmountable … greater and more numerous than anything we’ve ever faced before? It’s easy to feel the dread of defeat when we consider the frailty of our own human efforts and ingenuity against such “giants” as this spreading pandemic, unprecedented economic plunge, sky-rocketing unemployment, and basic shut-down of society as we’ve come to enjoy. This is exactly where the Israelites were as they realized they were no match against their enemies with their giants, fortified cities and vast armies before them.

 So what was the answer? How would their leader encourage and strengthen their hearts to face what was ahead? Moses knew that their ONLY hope would be the LORD. These continual reminders pointing Israel to the greatness, power and faithfulness of their God were crucial given the challenges ahead. Moses did not waste time trying to pump up their egos by pointing to any skills they might possess, asking them to reach deep into their inner resources of wisdom and grit or any other useless human effort. Over and over, Moses reminded the people of their God…His power, His ability to give them the land, His mighty hand, His presence, His creative battle strategies and His divine interventions that would make a way for them. The obstacles the nation faced were real … they were daunting, even fearing for their own lives. But none of these challenges were a problem for their God!

 So it is with us in this pandemic. We all desperately need the Lord!! We will not make it without Him. We all need to be faithful in continually pointing each other to the greatness, the ability, the creative genius of our God and His divine enablement to do the impossible on our behalf in these unprecedented times. The odds may seem stacked against us and the giants are real but they are no match for the LORD Almighty!! In the same way that the Lord went before Israel in the conquest of the promised land, He goes before each of us today … and tomorrow, and the next day. His power and ability to do the impossible and to make a way where there seems to be no way has not changed one iota! And just like Israel, we need to remember who our God is, to believe in His promises, step out in faith and obedience and continue to walk in trust as we face the obstacles before us. This pandemic and all that it brings is no match for our God!

Observing Lent

I grew up in a home influenced by Catholic tradition. Those traditions blended seamlessly into the faith my family raised me in. Observing Lent was one of those traditions, largely practiced by Catholics, that has greatly influenced my faith and prepared my heart for Easter on a deeper level over the years.

Lent is the period of 40 days, beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing till the celebration of Easter Sunday. It is meant to be a season of reflection and preparation. It is intended that by observing these days of Lent, Christians personally replicate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days.

There have been two Lenten observations that have particularly pricked my heart through the years.

 The first being when I was in junior high and gave up candy and gum. For my 13-year-old self, I was impacted by this as I prayed each time I wanted sweets or gum. It took me aback how much time I spent praying, compared to what I normally did in daily life. The second being when I chose to give up a bag of my things, every day for all of those forty days. I am a keeper. I keep nostalgia, I keep clothes (if they still fit, even if they are no longer in style), I keep trinkets and I keep movie ticket stubs to remind me of memorable moments in front of the big screen - you get the picture of my keeping. During those days, I sorted and donated, I combed through and discarded, I rid myself of 40 bags of things. I had no idea that cleansing and letting go could be so freeing. This act reminded me of the cleaning and letting go of olds sins. Those sins that I hold onto and shame myself with. If God was not keeping them boxed away, why? Why? Why was I?

For this Lenten season, I gave up chocolate, sugar and carbohydrates. Admittedly, this has proved to be a struggle every day that has passed since February 26th.

However.

This year Lent and letting go and giving up and surrendering my needs has been so much more tangible and heart wrenching than depriving myself of a Milky Way Midnight or a straight from the oven piece of bread slathered with butter. Maybe, these past days have been this way for you.

Instead of depriving myself of something tangible, God has placed on my heart this verse in regard to this specific Lenten observation. “Tear (rend) your heart, and not your garments or clothes.” Joel 2:13

How am I tearing my heart so as to permanently change it?

Here is what I am seeing God asking of me during these Lenten Days…

God is asking me to surrender what is most important to me in my life. My Family. He is calling me to not hold onto them, but instead to pray with my hands open. To bring them before the altar of the Lord. Leave them there. Place them in God’s hands and trust that He has a plan for every day, every moment, of their lives. God is calling me to trust Him with what I love and value most.

God is showing me that I need to “Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17. He is calling me out of my worry. He is drawing me to prayer. He is calling me to give up Netflix and novels, for a time, and to pray instead. He is calling me to pray and praise as I walk outside instead of ruminating and stewing on the day's events. He is calling me to observe II Corinthians 10:5b which clearly admonishes me to “Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.” This convicts me, most especially at this time causing me to pause, “Am I really showing love, not just in my actions but in the thoughts I allow to perch in my mind?

God is calling me to a different level of observing Lent, is He calling you?

My prayer for myself today, and my prayer for you if you will come beside me in this Lenten observation, is that after the celebration of Easter Sunday has come and gone that I will maintain where God has brought my heart during these 40 days. That my heart will be torn and changed.

"Gardening"

I have never had a green thumb. I am fond of saying I have the ability to make silk flowers wilt! But even with my notorious limited knowledge on the subject, I understand the necessity of "weed and feed" for best results. The more I have attempted to keep my plants alive, and the more it becomes a desire in me, the more effort I put into making this a reality (if only limited at present to marigolds!).

One of my favorite passages which I have been meditating upon lately is ” the parable of the seed and the soils " in Mark chapter 4. In this passage, Jesus describes a sower who sows good seed on four different types of soil and the outcome each soil produced. The first soil is simply along a path with no real depth to it at all. Not surprisingly, the birds quickly ate this seed and there was nothing produced. The second soil was full of rocks with only a little soil. It quickly sprang up but because there was no depth, the plant quickly withered in the heat of the day. The third soil had many thorns which choked and suffocated the plant so it yielded no harvest. Lastly, the seed was sown into what the Amplified Bible calls “good, well-adapted” soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing, yielding some 30 times as much, some 60 times as much and some 100 times as much.

Obviously the parable is explaining how the Word is sown into people’s hearts and how that Word is received and the results it produces. But verse 24 is the climax to this passage that challenges me everyday. In the Amplified Bible it reads, “And He said to them, “Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you--and more [besides] will be given to you who hear. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing even what he has will be taken away [by force].

When Jesus began teaching this parable he said in verse 3, “Give attention to this!” He knows the Israelites are “ever hearing but not grasping the truth” verse,12.

So...here’s the challenge: If you are feeling spiritually empty, powerless over sin, not making forward progress in your faith and discipleship of Jesus Christ, etc., let me ask you: What is the condition of your soil? Have you obeyed the Word of God that you DO know so that the Word can grow deep roots that results in fruit? Are we comfortable with boulders and thorns as long as we see a “little” green here and there? I decided for myself that “a little green” was not enough. I got busy getting some boulders out of my heart. (By the way, bitterness is one weed that will take root in ANY soil so I am vigilant now to be on guard for it and get that weed “outta here” pronto).

I am challenged and blessed that Jesus has promised to increase my understanding and fruit as I give His Word the priority and authority it should have in my life. The scary part? There is an equal promise that if I do not pay attention to His Word….what little knowledge I have ‘will be taken by force”.

I know someone who has walked away from following after the Lord and said they never understood the Bible and God never talked to them. I also know that this person spent very little time reading the Word and when it came to follow the Word or the world, the world won. What little this person had seems to have been “taken away” and I NEVER want to be like that.

I may never have a pretty flower bed or voluminous garden, but this I want with all my heart: a harvest of righteousness produced by being a listener and a doer of the Word of God.

The Dr. Seuss Logic of Prayer

Do it here. Do it there. Do it everywhere. 

In a boat, with a goat, on dry land surrounded by sand. In the sun and when it snows, when the leaves fall and when the Spring bud grows.

In a church, in a car when you have to drive far. In the shower, feel the Spirit’s power. Do it silently, or do it out loud, when you are alone or in a crowd.

Do it here. Do it there. Do it everywhere.

The Doctor Seuss logic of prayer is quite simple, our dialogue with God begins with being in prayer every day, all the time, anywhere. As we are commanded in I Thessalonians 5:17-18 we are to “Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Simple. Right?

Then why do we struggle so much with having prayer be our first resort and not our last? Why do we not want constant communication with the Lord?

Well, let me speak for myself and maybe some of my struggles will ring true with you.

When a crisis arises, I am often so caught up in the details, and headed right into panic mode that I don’t “stop, drop, and pray.” I am wanting to remedy the situation using my own skill set, instead of relying on God’s. I go into containment mode. Contain the problem. Contain my emotions. Contain my outward appearance so that I “seem” to be in control for those who may be witnessing the discomfort of my life play out. Just contain.

Why do I think I can do all of this myself?

Because Satan is constantly whispering little lies into my soul. He is telling me, “You got this girlfriend.” And, that is an utter lie, which goes against all God says and commands. Which leads to the understanding of why we, as women of God, are to be praying without ceasing. It is only then that I can hear God’s voice over that of Satan.

Were I not to have been in constant contact with God, I would not have been able to discern or even know His voice. Prayer gives you wisdom. Prayer gives you power. Prayer gives you peace. Prayer gives you the ultimate control over any situation which you may face.

Imagine for a moment - this is something I do very regularly - that you are a hot mess. Your hair is in knots and greasy having been left uncombed for days and your clothes are a mess, there are even smudges of mascara under your eyes. Knowing ALL this, and being in this state, you can BOLDLY approach the throne of God with your prayers. In fact, God commands you to. You can run right up to Him as He is seated on the dais as king ruling over the universe.“Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]”, as Hebrews 4:16 tells us.

Just for a moment let that image fill you. You are a daughter of the King, and He so wants you to come to Him prayerfully, in all circumstances. Just. As. You. Are.

I know you may not feel worthy of this privilege or the right to approach God. Because of circumstances, because of personal failures, because of lacking the right words. But, let me just tell you because I have been where you are - at times in even worse circumstances than some of you - despite it ALL you are so incredibly blessed. Wow! If you could only see the blessings. You have direct access to the God of the universe. All the time. Any hour. Any Day. Any moment.

So come as you are. From near or far. Pray when you’re busy, pray when you’re slow, pray when and wherever you go.

In Defense of Life

Abortion has again become a hot topic because of the outrage (or celebration) on social media regarding the bill passed in NY that allows late-term abortions and now no longer counts killing a pregnant woman as a double homicide by defining a person as "a human being who has been born and is alive." This was closely followed in VA by a similar bill.

In this time of human history, when semantics are used to justify the murder of millions of the most innocent and defenseless people, we need to be prepared to discuss justifications for the pro-life cause. Here are a few of the arguments used in favor of “choice”, and some resources to refute them and defend the pro-life view:

Referring to the baby as "fetus" or "blob of tissue"

1. Can a woman be pregnant with something that is not human? The answer is obvious. Taking it further can be helpful - that blob of tissue contains unique human DNA from the moment of conception - it contains the plans for the color of eyes, hair, and so on - all of the features of the person when fully formed.
2. Life begins at conception - the cells begin to divide and grow, and that is what scientists agree to be the definition of a living being.
3. Define the word "fetus". The stages of human development are this: fetus to newborn to toddler to young child to adolescent and so on.
4. Ultrasound images of fetal development: Frist Trimester images of Your Developing Baby.

Referring to abortion as an act of mercy for a child who will be born with a genetic disorder:

1. Reference famous people with genetic disorders or chronic illness who have contributed great things to humanity. Link here.
2. What about older adults or those who battle chronic illness? Do you believe their life is worth less than yours and therefore worthy of elimination?

It should be the woman's choice to do with her body what she wants, especially in the cases of rape and incest.

1. The baby is a separate being from its mother that contains unique human DNA. It will contain the woman's DNA, but it is entirely unique to the fetus. The baby is only connected physically to the woman for nourishment, it is not her body. In fact, it does not share her blood supply and if by some accident the mother and baby's blood is mixed there can be serious complications.
2. Going back to stages of development - what about a 2-year-old who is the product of rape or incest? Do we have the right to murder her?

 The child will be born into poverty and will not have what it needs to survive, the parents cannot provide for the baby

1. Adoption - although not an easy process, emotionally or physically, it allows the child LIFE.
2. Pregnancy centers support the mother and father through pregnancy and after with counseling, referrals, providing for material needs and parenting classes - Care Net, Bright Hope.
3. What would you consider a woman who had only enough for one to eat and gave it to her child? What would you consider her if she took it for herself and watched her child starve? When you love someone more than yourself, as so many mothers do, you are willing to sacrifice what you have and your own comfort for theirs. Abortion allows the mother (and father) to avoid their own sacrifice and instead sacrifice the life of their child.

This last point allows for an easy transition to a discussion of God's sacrificial love for us. He is a God who loves enough to give the life of his most precious son for us. For us, people who naturally put ourselves in his place with a desire to govern ourselves and make choices for our lives outside of his will and plan so we can feel we are in control.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." -Romans 5:6-11 

I would encourage you to remember to support our local pregnancy centers in any way you can - even if we all do a small part, we will be making a great difference in preserving precious lives! Bright Hope Pregnancy Support Center - www.brighthopecenters.org, offices in Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton.

I would also encourage you to do your research - this presentation by Stephanie Gray gives many good examples of how to engage people in a conversation, rather than confronting or attacking (Stephanie Gray: "Abortion: From Controversy to Civility" | Talks at Google). It is so easy to get defensive because most people on either side of this issue feel very strongly about what they believe in.

 A great book that is helpful for planning how to effectively discuss what you believe is Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Gregory Koukl (Available at Christian Books)

Finally, remember grace for all, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23-24

 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Ephesians 6:12-13

You have the knowledge, you have the resources, and you have a God who is on your side. "What then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

Please feel free to share in the comments your experiences in discussing pro-life versus pro-choice views and resources that can help us to be effective in defending life. 

References:

Outline for the defense of life from conception - http://thetorchblog.net/?p=996&fbclid=IwAR1YULskIP9t1BmhlW7AQbUNVtrySC5Hg4mZtFUt5q0LpLEFvNIMg_u6U4I

NY abortion bill: https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2017/S2796

A Place of Remembrance: Inspirations from Nehemiah

This is a blog post that I have had a great deal of difficulty approaching. A few weeks ago, I had agreed to write for the blog. I offered to write it not because I was compelled to share anything of great value or importance and not because I had a burning sense that the Spirit wanted to use me in order to relay some lofty revelation that I could no longer contain.  It was more out of a sense of obedience. You see, I’ve had this increasing sense (if not full-blown conviction) that I have become guilty of shirking my responsibility to the blog and it was time for me to step up and produce. Therefore, I have determined, to allow this act of obedience to be redeemed by turning it from an apathetic gesture of obligation into a sacrificial act of worship. One that seeks to give full glory to God even in the face of struggle, even when I don’t feel like it.
 
    So this morning I set myself up on my back patio that rests along my garden wall and began to pray. Those prayers began to turn and wander into a place of remembrance. One, that recalls a place and time that I would not consider to be a place that holds any particular degree of fondness for me, but of one that reminds me of the Lord’s faithfulness and his redemptive plan even when I can’t see beyond the rubble. That is where my praises begin.

    Beauty from ashes is what comes to mind as I sit here taking in the lush greenery of the garden scape; remembering a time when it was nothing more than a heap of limestone rocks piled one on top of another; an issue of real shame and contention for me. A wall that was constructed under our limited supervision, because we were in the midst of across country move, while our soon to be neighbors stood by scoffing at our seemingly indiscriminate purchase. In reality, we had been given no other choice but to trust the builder, despite our better instincts. We were locked into the deal with no way out, and the house on the hill with all it’s evident problems made for great entertainment in an otherwise quiet neighborhood. I was ashamed and lost my self-confidence on the very day of our arrival.

     But, then I was reminded of a different Builder, one who is not subject to human weakness, one who is no respecter of persons, One who is not mocked. The very One, who commissioned Nehemiah amidst all his enemies, to rebuild the wall surrounding Jerusalem with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. Now my circumstances dictated that I take up a garden trowel in one hand and the sword of the Spirit of the word of God in the other, in order to detract from the enemies who engaged me, from both outside of my confines and within. I would like to say, that this was the end of the struggle for me and mine but it wasn’t. There have been many challenges posed for us, in our life on the sunny side of the street that hasn’t always been so sunny. But there is a testimony of God’s faithfulness, right there in my backyard that reminds me at the end of each winter thaw of how He strengthened my hands when I thought my hands were too weak; when I thought the task would never be completed. So, I am reminded that even if I am kept silent, these stones will cry out (Luke 19:40) - Great is thy Faithfulness- to Him be the Glory for Ever and Ever!