When God Has Other Plans

Last Sunday morning, I was scheduled to serve as a prayer counselor at my church. Other Sundays, I’m a member of the worship team. I was also looking forward to participating in chapel service at a women’s shelter in a couple of weeks. I love my church family and all the opportunities to serve.

Back to last Sunday. I woke up to my usual alarm at 6:00, plenty of time to sip coffee with my husband John and walk our lovable Shih Tzu named Paavo. Our dog is our only kid, and we can’t imagine life without him.

But instead of walking Paavo and going to church, the morning was spent at the local animal emergency room. Paavo had begun to tremble and whimper, obviously in excruciating pain. In the waiting room, I texted our prayer team leader, explained why I would not be in church, and asked for prayer. She immediately replied that they would be praying for us and “sweet Paavo.”

After examining Paavo and giving him a pain injection, the doctor explained that Paavo was likely suffering from intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). Since Paavo could walk, his condition could be managed without surgery. 

My heart sank as I listened to the discharge instructions: 4 weeks of strict rest in a crate or confined area to allow healing. No running, jumping or excessive walking. Paavo would have to be carried outdoors for potty, then right back in the house. Plus three medications. Paavo loves to run in our yard and go for long walks. I was heartbroken for him.

Obviously, schedules had to be cleared. My family needed me at home for the next few weeks. That meant no worship team or prayer team. And I felt a twinge when I realized I’d have to miss our chapel service at the women’s shelter. Months of saying “yes” came to a temporary screeching halt. 

But I am reminded that challenges and disappointments are also opportunities to grow in grace. I may think I have it all figured out — where and how I will serve — but God reminds me that I am not in control. 

“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.” Jeremiah 29:11

We are a week into Paavo’s convalescence and recovery. He improves every day and wants so badly to run, jump and go for walks. For a change of scene, I sometimes carry him to another part of our neighborhood. He sniffs and sniffs for just a few minutes, just being a dog and savoring this all-too-brief break from IVDD “jail.”

I look forward to returning to my church activities in a few weeks. But meanwhile, God has other plans. When I see a smile in Paavo’s eyes after we play a gentle game, my heart melts. His expression softens as John strokes him and reassures him. We softly tell Paavo that he’s going to be all right, that he needs to rest so he can heal.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

Sometimes following Jesus leads to an unexpected bend in the road — a detour in a carefully drawn roadmap. But those interruptions can bring unexpected graces in ordinary circumstances. It can be as simple as a smile on my dog’s face, where there once was fear and pain. Or seeing my husband with renewed affection, as he soothes and cares for Paavo. 

With Jesus as my Lord and Savior, God can transform me through my circumstances. He loves me as no one else can — enough to die for me. 

How about you? Are interrupted plans leaving you discouraged and frustrated? If you haven’t already, maybe this is the time to put your life in God’s hands and accept that gift of salvation. 

Waiting for Spring

Late February is a tricky time of year here in Boise. We enjoy increasing hours of daylight and the warmth of the sun. Tender green shoots are emerging from the long frozen ground. And then we open the door one morning and see…snow!

Yesterday’s coating of snow has melted, however, and the familiar sweet tug of spring has returned. In our garden, the rhubarb and day lilies are coming up. There’s a profusion of buds on our lilac shrub and plum tree. When I walk our dog, I scan neighborhood yards for purple crocuses, those cheerful flowers that bravely poke through the snow.

I can hardly wait for planting time, when I can plunge my hands into the soil and smell the earth. Tending the garden brings peace and joy, as many avid gardeners will tell you.

Late winter and early spring is an emotional time for many people. Witnessing the changing seasons affects us at the deepest level, in our hearts. Maybe we’re recalling that moment when our Creator reached down and formed the first human from part of the ground.

“then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Genesis 2:7 (ESV)

Come to think of it, humanity’s first days were spent in a garden.

“And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.” Genesis 2:8 (ESV)

We join with all of creation in praising God.

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12 (ESV)

“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy!” Psalm 96:11-12 (ESV)

Grateful that God has given us the ability to recognize the beauty of every season. I’m praying that the promise of spring reminds us all of the promise of the cross and gift of salvation through Jesus Christ!

Giving Thanks, Then and Now

As Thanksgiving winds down, I am realizing that for the first time in two years, I am excited about the holiday season. The years 2020 and 2021 were challenging and traumatic for everyone, and my family had its share of personal sorrows and worries. My mom passed away in October, 2020 and my mother-in-law in February, 2021. My husband John had open heart surgery in September, 2021, during our state’s worst COVID-19 surge. Needless to say, we were almost too exhausted to be merry.

But this year, the childlike excitement is returning. While Thanksgiving dinner was in the oven, I began putting up the Christmas decorations. I have a yearning to listen to Christmas music. I keep pointing out to John how cute our decorations look. This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful and relieved to be emerging from the darkest shadows of grief. Bittersweet feelings are still there, but joy abounds as well!

This morning, I carefully lay a strand of Christmas lights behind mementos that we keep on the fireplace mantel. There’s the set of bowls my mom gave us a few Christmases ago. Here are the hummingbird feeders John’s daughter gave us. And here is a tiny bear figurine — I love bears — that I bought for myself.

Each item is a reminder of treasured memories and people. Joys and sorrows. Gratitude for the way God sees us through the good and the not so good times.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’” 1 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)

I think of the stone that the prophet Samuel placed as a memorial to God’s faithfulness and protection. The stone was called Ebenezer, and it symbolized God’s help in victory on the battlefield. But even if we have never fought in actual combat, we face other kinds of battles — anxiety, grief, overwhelm, discouragement, pandemic, job loss. In the midst of these struggles, we can feel alone and defeated. We may wonder if we’ll ever laugh or celebrate again.

As I look at the mementos that sit on our mantel, I realize that each one is a kind of memorial stone. They remind me of how God brings joy, laughter and love — and how He carries us through grief and worry.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1 (NIV)

This year, as I savor the sights and sounds of Christmas, I will indulge in my childlike excitement. The holidays are still tinged with sadness, but the sense of wonder and adoration for the Christ child envelops us. I will remember God’s faithfulness in years past and give thanks that His love endures forever.

Monday Eye-Opener: Pinholes

Image by Pexels via Pixabay

 

Sometimes the most ordinary situations allow us to show the love of Christ to our friends, families and neighbors. Inner promptings let us know how we can serve others. We set aside our personal agendas to buy lunch for a homeless person, visit a friend in the hospital or even bring in the neighbor’s trash barrels.  

Yesterday in church, our pastor quoted Oswald Chambers:

“If I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God.” — Oswald Chambers.

When I worked at a faith-based shelter for women and children, our

director described our job as being “the hands and feet of Jesus.” Every meal we served, every intake we completed, every laugh we shared may have been someone’s first glimpse of God’s love. Maybe our random acts of kindness are part of our own search for God.

 

”And you will seek me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

I’m reminded that I don’t have to wait for dramatic events in order to be the hands and feet of Jesus. What really matters is that I give my whole heart to God in my everyday life.

This week, as we rush through the usual work deadlines, appointments and errands, let’s pause long enough to recognize those “pinholes through which I see the face of God.”

A New Thing

Before I sat down to write, I knew it had been a long time since my last post in this blog. But I was surprised when I saw that my most recent post was nearly two years ago! Like the last post, I am writing today as temperatures drop and winter approaches. As I cut back some of our shrubs and flowering vines, the backyard is beginning to look barren. In fact, the past two years have seemed barren, with never-ending reports of COVID-19 lockdowns, surges and new strains. 

I turned 60 this year, which means I am considered “senior” in some circles. The occasional senior discount is always welcome! But I can’t help noticing the stereotypes that persist about people over 60. Even in some churches, it’s not unheard of to see a maximum cutoff age of 45 for ordained ministry. In many ways, the world tells us that after a “certain age,” we are barren — not just regarding our ability to bear children, but our ability to contribute and inspire. 

 

I beg to differ. I’ve lost count of the number of older people God uses in the Bible. There’s Noah, Moses, Sarah and Elizabeth. Hannah cried out to the Lord and gave birth to Samuel. Naomi lost her sons and Ruth lost her husband in an age when no husband or sons meant no future. But both women carried on with faith and grit and found new hope. Barrenness is not a life sentence in the Lord’s eyes.

“…the LORD remembered her plea, and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, ‘I asked the LORD for him.’” 1 Samuel

 1:19-20 (NLT)

“The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised.” Genesis 21:1 (NLT)

“Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” Ruth 4:14-15 (NLT)

 

But barrenness doesn’t always refer to childlessness. We can experience many kinds of dry spells that make life seem like a wasteland. We long to conceive and give birth to something new. We cry out to God and wonder if our cries are heard. 

 

At times during the past two years, I felt adrift in a spiritual wasteland. I believed that something new was waiting to be born, and I rushed here and there trying to make it happen. I busied myself with church work, becoming a Deacon and eventually Deacon Moderator. The work blessed me richly, but I still felt depleted and sad. Then I immersed myself in Zen Buddhism, where I met lovely people but still felt spiritually and creatively exhausted.

 

Things began to turn around this summer and fall. I was intrigued by a sign announcing that a new church was holding worship services about a block from our house. “Love God. Love people,” the sign said. Then a couple of weeks ago, I was waiting for a city bus, heading home after doing errands. A young man sat next to me and began talking about Jesus and the Bible. 

 

“I hope you and your husband will open that book,” he said. We did. And I finally started attending the new church. It’s tiny — 30 people at most — but growing.

 

At my new church, we are studying the book of Ruth. I am reminded that God uses our circumstances to achieve His purpose for our lives. Like Ruth and Naomi, we can feel lost and even bitter. We work and wonder if we are still part of God’s plan. 

Image by ollis-picture via Pixabay

 

But God still has a purpose for me. I see hints of it with every “coincidence” and prompting. Where I once saw bewilderment and disappointment, I now sense a creative stirring. A quickening. A new story waiting to be born.

“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.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

 

How about you? When have you experienced barrenness and cried out to God? What are the wombs that God has opened in your life? What new thing is waiting to be born?

Star Word 2019: Pure

Epiphany Sunday has become one of my favorite days at my church. We each receive a Star Word to guide us for the year, just as the Wise Men followed the star to the Christ child.

This year, my word is “pure.” As you can see, it is already stuck with a magnet on my refrigerator. My first thought when I saw my word was:

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” from the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5:8)

When I receive my Star Word each year, I love to dig deep and learn as much as I can about the word. The Oxford Dictionary defines pure as “not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material.”

We tend to equate this definition with “sinless” or “flawless.” But as with other Star Words,  its meaning has another layer. For example, Benson’s Bible Commentary notes that purity of heart means serving God “continually with a single eye and an undivided heart.”

Then I found this verse:

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17)

My Star Word not only guides my heart and keeps my eyes on Jesus; it also describes the nature of our Lord. How wonderful to remember that our God is true and unchanging!

So my Star Word for 2019 will help me keep my focus on our merciful, reasonable, and steadfast God who is our unchanging Rock. I feel as though Jesus is saying, as Sarah Young wrote in Jesus Calling, “Keep your eyes and your mind wide open to all that I am doing in your life.“

A blessed way to start the year!

 

 

 

A Different Kind of Ash Wednesday

 

This afternoon, I got goosebumps as I reflected on the beginning of Lent. I look forward to Lent as a time of closeness with the Lord, as He walks alongside each of us in our personal wildernesses.

I did not attend Ash Wednesday service at church this evening, because I am trying to avoid bringing the flu home to my husband and my mom — both at high risk for serious flu complications. My heart is both at home and at church, however, as I look forward to returning to church soon.

So back to the goosebumps. Maybe Lent has an even richer meaning for me after the past year, when my family trekked through the wildernesses of heart failure, depression, and anxiety. We lean on Jesus in the desert of grief as news headlines announce yet another mass shooting. Sometime plain old despair is the temptation we face in our desert.

But blessings have also abounded in recent months. Prayers for healing and recovery draw us close to the Lord and to each other.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’“ Matthew 4:4

“and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor” Isaiah 63:1

I love to observe this sacred day in community, at church. Today was a different kind of Ash Wednesday, but no less rich in meaning. And Easter is on its way.

 

Perception and Breathing New Life

 

February has always been a month of contrasts for me. The magic of the first snowfall is long gone, and the once flourishing garden is a tangle of gray, dormant branches and stems. And that lingering fatigue from the latest flu strain is getting old. On the other hand, it’s time for seed catalogs, late winter pruning, and first glimpses of crocuses. I think of my Star Word of the year, “perception,” and how one scene can trigger contrasting emotions — depending on one’s perception.

Here in Boise, the temperature has been in the 60s for the past few days, so my husband John and I picked up the pruning shears and headed for the patio and garden. Later, my mom and I savored the sunlight in our front yard. I’ve seen enough winters to know that spring always returns, but I admit I am relieved when I see those first shoots emerge in late winter.

 

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22

As we approach Lent and then Easter, I am keenly aware of God’s fierce and renewing love for His creation: a love that repeatedly breathes new life into our cloudy, icy mornings, and refuses to give up on any of us. It’s a love so fierce that it will lay down its life to give new life. A love that says “I forgive you” before it hears the words “I’m sorry.” A love that says “I love you where you are right now, because I can see past the dry, dead brambles and anticipate tender new growth.”

“Where man sees but withered leaves,
God sees sweet flowers growing.”
~Albert Laighton

I pray for sharpened perception as the Creator breathes new life into our dreams. What new perspective will He show us in a cherished but stale goal? What refreshed perception will we have of ourselves? What new beginnings will he create — as only He can create — out of what looks like ashes?

I hope that wherever you are, whatever your circumstances at this moment, that you sense the promise of renewal and rebirth in the coming seasons!

Perception: Who Says I Can’t Have Two Words for 2015?

Perception: My Star Word for 2015

Since we moved into our new home in Boise, Idaho last March, so many things have been new. I was introduced to a lovely new tradition at church this Sunday, as we celebrated the Epiphany, or the day that the Magi visited the Christ child.

After we received communion this Sunday, we each received a Star Word for the year 2015. As I turned over the star-shaped paper, I read my word: perception. In my previous blog post, I wrote about my focus on the word “mercy” for 2015. As a lover of words, I will gladly ponder, pray and learn from my Star Word, too!

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. Isaiah 64:4

At first glance, the word “perception” brings to my mind the age-old question, “do you perceive the glass as half empty or half full?”

Merriam Webster tells us that perception is

• the way you think about or understand someone or something
• the ability to understand or notice something easily
• the way that you notice or understand something using one of your senses

To perceive can also mean to discern, realize, recognize. The word “recognize” reminds me of the walk to Emmaus after the crucifixion, when the disciples did not realize that the stranger who was walking with them was the risen Jesus.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. Luke 24:13 (NIV)

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

Will 2015 be a year of sharpened perception for me? Will it open the eyes of my heart and bring the word mercy into clearer focus? Will I see Jesus in places I didn’t expect to see Him?

Mercy and perception: so I’m starting the new year with two powerful words. Stay tuned to see what these words teach me this year!

Five-Minute Friday: Because

 

Welcome to Five Minute Friday, where we gather at Heading Home every week to write for five minutes straight from a prompt. That’s five-minutes of spontaneous writing, with no edits, no second-guessing 🙂

This week’s prompt is “because.” Here I go:

________________________________

Because I have to write, just like I have to breathe.

Because the line was too long at the checkout. I’ll go back to the store and pick it up tomorrow.

Because sometimes I need a day off from writing.

Because I didn’t know it was going to rain today.

Because I wasn’t sure if you would actually read this.

Because I will always love you.

Because I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer.

Because I didn’t sleep well last night and got up on the wrong side of the bed.

Because the submission deadline is two days earlier than I thought.

Because the cat was afraid of the vacuum, so I let him sleep next to us.

Because He created me this way.

Because I can carry this with His strength.

Because you can carry on, knowing that you are loved.

Because we can do all things through Him.

________________________________

Time’s up! I hope you’ll link up and join us with your take on this prompt!