The Painting

The ocean, the surf, the sand, the footprints, the blue sky, the distant clouds;

all were rendered to perfection,

so much so that as I allowed my imagination

to be drawn into the impressionist’s rendering,

I could almost taste the salty air and feel the gentle breeze catching at my hair.

Perhaps it was because I longed for it to be that way.

My feigned senses were abruptly snatched up into the grasp of reality.

Where were the rocks, the pieces of driftwood?

Missing were the tangled globs of seaweed, dead palm fronds,

bits of weather-worn sea glass.

Was there nothing left lying around to reveal sweet memories

of sand castles, picnic lunches, Frisbee games?

Where was the lost slipper, the half-buried wristwatch,

the makeshift homeless shelter

tucked amid the thorny mesh of bougainvillea and kiawe?

As lovely and delightfully inviting as it appeared,

the painting was unrealistic…

…like my prayers may sometimes be.

Who am I

that my life would be reduced to a painting?

Am I entitled to health, comfort, kind treatment?

Am I capable of discernment?

Must my default assumption be that my struggle or lack or failure

are indications of God’s disinterest in my personal affairs,

of His punishment for my ineptitude, or of His disappointment in me?

Are the phantom portrayals and partial glimpses

of the lives surrounding me

meant to be emulated or somehow establish a standard of measurement

with which I must compare?

When I allow my imagination

to be drawn into my own artistic rendering,

I can almost taste the salty air of an ideal life

and feel the gentle breeze of self-centered optimism catching at my hair.

Perhaps it is because I long for it to be that way.

My feigned senses must be abruptly snatched up

into the grasp of God’s Truth;

that is…

to desire Jesus,

to trust in His perfect love for me,

to relinquish every holding, every title and tenure,

to count all things as loss in view of Jesus…

“But whatever things were gain to me,

those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 

More than that,

I count all things to be loss

in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,

for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,

and count them but rubbish

so that I may gain Christ,

and may be found in Him,

not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law,

but that which is through faith in Christ,

the righteousness which comes from God

on the basis of faith…” 

~Philippians 3:7-9

As the realities of life

are placed in the presence of the true reality, that is Jesus,

there are no illusions of hopelessness….

…and there is rest.

Hidden Treasure ~ Cinquain

Word

secretive, untouchable

whispering, probing, penetrating

defying death, securing life

Promise
~ae

“Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, 

that I might not sin against Thee.” 

~Psalm 119:11

To Bear the Stretcher

To come before God on someone's behalf

is a multifaceted experience. 

It reveals my helpless estate,

my lack of strength or ability to offer help in any other way,

and my utter dependency upon Jesus,

the source of comfort and healing.  

Humility is so... humbling. 

Jesus tells me to make my requests known to Him

and holds the promise of peace

that is way beyond my capability to understand (Philippians 4:6,7).

As I was praying for a friend,

the paralytic man of Mark 2:1-11 came to mind. 

This man had friends who knew that

their only remaining hope was to somehow

bring their friend into the presence

of the One who could offer healing, newness, life. 

But the crowds... it was so difficult. 

The crowds of people,

crowds of emotion,

crowds of inadequacy,

crowds of "what ifs",

crowds of reminders of my helplessness.

The creative means; a hole in the roof. 

The  mode of transport; muscles, sweat and tears. 

The goal; to do whatever it took to lay him at Jesus' feet. 

They didn't tell Jesus what to do;

their wordless action

displayed their barebones trust in Jesus alone. 

Jesus equated the power to heal

with the power to forgive sins

..."Which is easier?" (vs.9)  

One reminds us of the other

and vice versa. 

Yet ultimately,

it is not the healing or the forgiveness

that causes us to fall prostrate before Him in awe and wonder

and ascribe all glory and honor to Him...

…it is being in His presence

that is so unfathomable,

so amazing,

so indescribable.

As I read through the list of names of friends and relatives

to whom prayers had been requested,

and realized that each of those names

had likely extended the same request

in their fervent desire on my friend’s behalf

to their friends and church families,

I was overwhelmed with awe at the power of prayer.

So there we were,

on our knees before the Holy Creator and Sustainer of Life

... together. 

To think that He hears us

and speaks comfort and guidance

and yes, even healing,

into our beings. 

It was God's completely adequate gift of faith to us 

that bore the stretcher

and laid my friend at the feet of our Savior

... adequate because of who He is.

Father, words cannot express our hearts

when we bring our friend to You. 

We cry out for your Holy Spirit to intercede for us

with groans too deep for words (Romans 8:26,27),

knowing that You are entirely trustworthy. 

Please encourage our friend, and us, as only You can. 

In Jesus' precious name,

amen.

Jesus ~ Truth

Truth:

Worth dying for…

“And Stephen, full of grace and power,

was performing great wonders and signs among the people…

 But they were unable to cope

with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking…

 They put forward false witnesses who said,

‘This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law.’”…

“When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him…”

 ~Acts 6:8-7:58

“… others were tortured,

not accepting their release,

so that they might obain a better resurrection;

and others experienced mockings and scourgings,

yes, also chains and imprisonment. 

They were stoned, they were sawn in two,

they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword…”

~Hebrews 11:35-37

Worth living for…

 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him,

‘If you continue in My word,

then you are truly disciples of Mine;

and you will know the truth,

and the truth will make you free.’”

John 8:31,32

 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true,

whatever is honorable, whatever is right…

…dwell on these things.”

~Philippians 4:8

“Jesus said to him,

‘I am the Way,

and the Truth, and the Life;

no one comes to the Father

but through Me.’”

~John 14:5

Jesus ~ Faithful Witness

Faithful Witness:

“My covenant will I not break,

nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 

Once I have sworn by my holiness

that I will not lie unto David.

His seed shall endure forever,

and his throne as the sun before me. 

It shall be established forever as the moon,

and as a faithful witness in heaven.’”

~ Psalm 89:34-37

“Grace be unto you, and peace,

from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come,

…and from Jesus Christ,

   who is the faithful witness…”

~Revelation 1:4,5

A witness is someone

who is there when something happens,

who can verify its having taken place.

A witness is someone

who has first-hand experience or knowledge.

A witness is someone

who is able to stand solid,

bearing up under the weight

of the burden of proof.

A witness is someone

who is a threat to those who conspire

against the truth.

A witness is someone

who is responsible to hold someone else accountable

for promises made intentionally.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen…

Through faith

we understand that the worlds

were framed by the word of God,

so that things which are seen

were not made of things which do appear.”

~Hebrews 11:1,3

Jesus

is full of the substance of faith,

for He is witness to everything

which is inside and outside of the realm of time and space.

Jesus

is witness to, and can verify evidence of, things not seen (by anyone else)

because He was, and is, and will be there.

Jesus

offers us the gift of faith,

the substance, the evidence,

the Truth verified.

“Wherefore seeing we also

are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight,

and the sin which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run with patience

the race that is set before us,

looking unto Jesus…” 

~Hebrews 12:1,2

Broken

“In the latter period of their rule

when the transgressors have run their course,

a king will arise,

insolent and skilled in intrigue.

“He will be mighty,

but not by his own power,

and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree

and prosper and perform his will;

he will destroy mighty men and the holy people.

“And through his shrewdness

he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence;

and he will magnify himself in his heart,

and he will destroy many while they are at ease.

“He will even oppose the Prince of princes,

but he will be broken without human agency.”

~Daniel 8:23-25

This passage from God’s Word describes Antiochus IV

who rose to power by intrigue and deceit,

but the throne was not rightfully his to occupy.

I can’t help but wonder

what training this Antiochus IV had as a child.

Imagine with me for a moment...

Pretend that little Antiochus IV was buckled into the cart of a modern day grocery store.

Was he allowed to grab and eat all the candy he could reach?

Did everyone jump to soothe his every screech and squawk and hissy fit?

Didn’t anyone ever spend any time teaching him to use tools?

Did anyone care enough to monitor how much time he spent on the internet,

or oversee what music he listened to or what books he read?

Did he ever experience having his mouth washed out with soap for swearing

or for speaking God’s name in vain?

Did he ever receive loving discipline for hitting his sister

or breaking grandma’s teacup on purpose,

or for sassing back to someone in authority?

Did he bully other kids or treat girls with shameful behavior?

Did his daddy buy his tires?

This is all simple speculation, of course.

Yet, if his will had been broken in his childhood,

would he have acquired a heart of compassion,

an awareness of the needs of others,

an ability to give and receive love?

…which seems to infer that his parents or society bore the responsibility

of his righteousness, his goodness, his acceptability.

Is it God’s will that some remain in evil?

If someone is not broken as a child,

will he be broken in the end, as was Antiochus IV?

 “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.

And His disciples asked Him,

‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,

that he would be born blind?’

Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned,

nor his parents,

but it was so that the works of God

might be displayed in him…

…I am the Light of the world.”

~John 9:1-4

Matters of the mind may be trained in many skills, good or evil,

the ability of the body is, at best, incapable,

and the heart, in its naivety, is easily deceived.

Each one, mind, body, heart,

may be molded, transformed, remade by the hands of God,

for each one is His creation.

But matters of the soul belong to God alone.

There is no act of will, no physical alteration,

no heartfelt sincerity within my power

to command my soul to be whole;

just so, every soul is at His mercy.

It is not for us to know how or why;

it is enough for me to know that God is loving

and that He is just.

Perhaps the better question is…

How is it that the Almighty God of mercy chose 
to care for me,

when the core of my heart was evil,

... to cleanse me from all unrighteousness,
to occupy my soul,

and to make me His own child?

“…but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in (me)”

I Don't Think...

My brother-in-law to his little girl the morning after her slumber party: 

“Come with me.  We’ll rest together.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep, Daddy.”

“It’s o.k.  Just close your eyes…  There, now.  We’ll rest together.”

So she closed her eyes and was instantly asleep.

……

God to me when life happens:

Come with Me.  We’ll rest together (Hebrews 4:9-11)

I don’t think I’ll be able to _________, Lord.

It’s o.k.   Just do what I say…  There, now.  We’ll rest together.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.

Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt.”

~Jeremiah 31:3,4

In Flex

Two very moving experiences

in two days...

A conversation with a friend

who is battling cancer,

and a few hours spent 

with a friend in the ER.

Both friends displayed 

immovable faith

and unalterable kindness

in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances.

Both friends had 

every plausible excuse

society has to offer

to toss kindness aside,

to render generic faith useless,

to ride whatever wave felt best

for the moment...

... but they chose another path...

a narrow road

with promise of struggle,

of suffering,

... and each remains completely contented there...

The power of kindness,

the strength of a smile,

the depth of compassion,

the might of an ear,

the steel of steadfastness,

the firmness of faith

all pass through the fire

of unmerciful fear.

Through acts of obedience

rendered in prayer,

the hearts of the faithful

become stronger still.

True strength, though appearing

impartial and tough,

is soft and resilient

in flex with His will.

“Now faith

is the assurance of things hoped for, 

the conviction of things not seen… 

let us run the race that is set before us, 

fixing our eyes on Jesus, 

the author and perfecter 

of faith…”

~Hebrews 11:1 & 12:1,2

Beyond Words

Words captivate me.

Words I see or hear

are constantly being filtered:

Are they flippant, exaggerated, dull,

misspelled, misapplied, inappropriate?

Are they accurate, inspiring, meaningful,

motivating, intentional, sincere…?

Words demand my focus,

their relevance vies for my attention,

their accuracy assumes authority to gauge value…

…perhaps too much so…

What blessing can come through sorrow?

What wisdom can be gained through loss?

What treasure can be found in emptiness?

Jesus,

be my focus

be my relevance worthy of attention,

be my authority to gauge value.

Draw me to

Yourself

…to be content

Beyond Words… 

~ae

Happy Face Outcome

A number of years ago,

we had an inexpensive but functioning printer

that progressed through a series of beeps and groans

and gear grinding noises

to accomplish its intended purpose.

One day, I decided to see just exactly how long it took

to make one copy.

So, I drew a happy face on a piece of paper,

placed it upside down on the glass

and closed the lid.

Then, pushing the start buttons

on the printer and my stopwatch simultaneously,

the two of us proceeded with our routine duet

of vocal and mechanical harmony;

a sort of file clerk beatboxing practice session,

one that should never, ever be witnessed or recorded.

When the overture emitted its grand finale

and the copy of my happy face landed in the tray,

the actual time proved to be

..... *drum roll*.....

twenty-three seconds!

That's a long time to wait for a happy face...

... but I knew it would eventually come out.

Daniel was a very patient man,

serving under several arrogant, self-centered rulers,

who proceeded through their own series of beeps and groans

and gear grinding noises,

displaying extreme measures of manipulation and aggression

to flaunt their powerful authority

and feed their insatiable pride.

Yet, throughout the book of Daniel,

every interpreted dream,

every miracle of protection and provision,

every confounding of earthly wisdom and power,

was another well-placed slam of the spiritual sledge hammer

which drove the spike of Proclaimed Truth firmly into place...

"The Most High God

is ruler over the realm of mankind"

~Daniel 5:21

Daniel served God faithfully,

all the while establishing a trustworthy reputation

as a confidant, a dream revealer and "chief of the magicians" (4:9),

risking his life to relay God's disagreeable prophecies

to blasphemous ruling powers;

Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, Cyrus.

That's a long time to wait for a happy face,

but he knew it would eventually come out.

"Your Word is Truth,

and every one of Your righteous ordinances

is everlasting.

Princes persecute me without cause,

but my heart stands in awe of Your words."

~Psalm 119:160,161

The Dance

She was young and beautiful

with flowers in her hair

and the wind in her wings.

Her father delighted

in her breathtaking loveliness.

But one morning

she was unable to stand,

to step, to walk.

Her father’s heart felt

intense compassion.

He prayed for her

that one day

she would be clothed in white.

He would walk her down the aisle

and offer her hand in marriage

to the love of her life.

...and he would dance with her.

…many years passed…

She was young and beautiful

with flowers in her hair

and the wind in the wings of her heart.

Her father delighted

in her breathtaking loveliness.

Her struggles were many,

her courage challenged,

and with each endeavor to stand

to step, to walk,

she grew to depend upon the Strength

that was made perfect in her weakness.

Then one day

her father’s prayers were answered.

He walked her down the aisle

and offered her hand in marriage

to the love of her life.

...and he danced with her!

God’s people were young and beautiful

with flowers in their hair

and the wind in their wings.

The Father delighted

in their breathtaking loveliness

and said, “It is good.”

But they were unable to stand,

to step, to walk.

The Father’s heart felt

intense compassion.

He planned for them

that one day

they would be clothed in white

His people would become

the church,

the bride

which He purposed her to be.

He would walk her down the aisle

and offer her hand in marriage

to the Love of her life…

...and He would dance with her.

...many years passed....

The church was young and beautiful

with flowers in her hair

and the wind in the wings of her heart.

Her Father delighted

in her breathtaking loveliness,

for in the church, His glory was revealed.

The church’s struggles were many,

her courage challenged,

and with each endeavor to stand

to step, to walk,

the church grew to depend upon the Strength

that was made perfect in her weakness.

One day

the Father will walk the church down the aisle

and offer her hand

to the One Who will come for His bride;

the Father’s own Son,

Jesus,

the Love of her life.

...and the Father will dance with her!

"And they will see the Son of Man

coming on the clouds of the sky 

with power and great glory.

And He will send forth His angels

with a great trumpet 

and they will gather together His elect

from the four winds,

from one end of the sky to the other..

...but of that day and hour

no one knows,

not even the angels of heaven, 

nor the Son,

but the Father alone."

~Matthew 24:30,31,36