Closer Than We Think

"....Your prayers need not be labored or lengthy or grandiose—for Your Father knows what you need before you ever ask Him." (Matthew 6:8, The Voice)

Simply by the way He lived, Jesus' prayer life seemed to be uncontained, varied, and not what people expected. His example to us is that while all the "how to" books on prayer may be helpful, there is no one way to package what really matters: nurturing conversational relationship with the One who made us and everything else. And while there is certainly an important place for focused intercession that may go on for hours, there's a form of prayer that doesn't get enough credit for its power—the ones we lift Up that are really short.

I remember a visiting preacher telling the story of getting to have lunch with a highly esteemed man of God, known for wisdom that had to have come only from spending prolonged periods of time absorbing the red-letter words of Jesus and sitting in deep prayer and reflection. The preacher couldn't wait to get an up-close glimpse of this brother's insights into the secrets of the Kingdom and how to live it out practically in the day-to-day. When the lunch arrived, it was time to pray over the meal, and the preacher didn't quite know what to think when the esteemed man of God paused, then took a deep breath through his nose and simply said:

"Gawwwwwd! Amen."

And that was that. The preacher said that rather than a sense of irreverence, there was something contagious in the air around that table, of the joy and unexplainable power that happens when men and women breathe in and out with God throughout their day. Their life becomes a sermon because their hearts are full, and quite often, the words are few and with the simplicity of a child who loves hanging out with his Father.

I came home from work one day this week after spending the previous 24 hours away because of a March blizzard, and knew I'd be greeted by a driveway in need of snowblowing. Four-fifths of the way through, the auger belt gave in to the heavy crunch near the road, and instead of getting to go inside home sweet home, I wound up shoveling the rest of it and getting reacquainted with muscles and movements I hadn't experienced for awhile. In which case, you pause often. And in doing so, a surge of simple gratitude began to strangely well up within:

First, the sun was out, it wasn't snowing, and its warmth was cutting through the cold wind. This white stuff will not last... Looking up, the buds on the lilac bushes and maples were beginning to swell...A replay of good memories of kiddos-now-adults playing in the front yard flashed before me...A smile as I thought of the blessing of great colleagues at work, even when the hours can be long...The arrival of a friend who went out of his way on his way home to help assess the damage to the snowblower's innards and arrange to get the right part at the shop where he worked...And once finally inside, the wave of warmth that erased concerns that the power had gone out during the storm.

As Jesus showed time and again, He is always present in the routine, and sometimes seemingly more so in the midst of the chaos and storms of life. In fact on one occasion, He simply "showed up" with just three little words. Following His lead, it's good to remember that keeping it short can yield pretty powerful results when it comes from the heart of relationship:

As I was about to take my first bite of dinner after finally getting inside from shoveling and pausing—a growling empty stomach full of simple gratitude—I found myself saying the simple grace my son would often recite before every meal: "Thank You, Lord, for this beautiful supper and this beautiful day. Amen." Short and sweet. That seemed to say it all and say it best... and with it, a flood of peace in the midst of the storm.

It's a new week. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me (and all who pass by here) remember that it's good and perfectly OK to simply and regularly pray..."Gawwwwwwd!"

"Lift up your hearts to Him, sometimes even at your meals, and when you are in company; the least little remembrance will always be acceptable to Him. You need not cry very loud;

He is nearer to us than we are aware."

(Brother Lawrence, 'The Practice of the Presence of God')

Holding On

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." (Hebrews 10:23, New Living Translation)

There are the four wonderful seasons, and then there is March. In New England, it could be called spwintah: t-shirts and open car windows for three or four days straight, followed by numbing winds and snow that make January and February look lame by comparison. Apparently, that last part is going to be our lot this week.

Oh God, why?

Through the pen of Paul in the book of Romans, God says that He created the seasons and all of creation—even spwintah—to help all peoples in all the world know Him as Maker and Lord of all things and to show that He is always with us: "From the beginning, creation in its magnificence enlightens us to His nature. Creation itself makes His undying power and divine identity clear, even though they are invisible..."

For one thing, March is a tangible reminder that while we live in the now, we long for the glorious not yet. The t-shirt and open window moments not only give us a foretaste of that promised land, but encourage us to step into the authority and privilege of being children of God to bring a glimpse of the supernatural life and light and power of His heavenly goodness into the often cold reality of others' struggles, pain, and loneliness.

For another thing, March is a tangible way that God answers our question, "what do hope and faith really look like?" Several years ago, there was a March of all Marches. It snowed endlessly, and the snowbanks in my driveway were so high, neither shovel or snowblower could find room for one more inch. Opening Day for the Red Sox was just around the corner. Surely, this would be the year of no spring.

But above the towering snowbanks, a robin started singing....and a few weeks later, the black flies were out, and the snow shovel was replaced by a spade to tackle the garden's first weeds.

We may not like the weather forecast this week, especially now that it's Daylight Savings Time. But it's good to know that while we can be impatient in ways we thought we'd never be impatient, His promises of hope, of His presence 24/7, of resurrection life, and of new beginnings never fail — and are always right on time...

"He launches His promises earthward —

How swift and sure they come!

He spreads snow like a white fleece,

He scatters frost like ashes,

He broadcasts hail like birdseed —

Who can survive His winter?

Then He gives the command, and it all melts;

He breathes on winter...suddenly, it's spring!"

(Psalm 147:15-18, The Message)

Let it Burn

"And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with His gifts, but bold and loving and sensible."—2 Timothy 1:6-7, Message

There’s nothing like that burning-heart sensation when we plunge into a project, a ministry, or a craft, and think: “This is what I was born for.” While some, like Timothy, may be anointed by church leaders for specific tasks, all of us were formed in the secret place with God-breathed leanings, interests, and abilities to do everyday things intended to serve others and build up His kingdom.

But like Timothy, we may also become exhausted, intimidated, overwhelmed, and discouraged at times (our adversary seems to be tireless in trying to get us to suppress what God has uniquely gifted each of us to do). On top of that, we also have to fight cutting-edge syndrome, thinking what we do in life needs to be on the forefront of what God is doing in our day or it really doesn't count for much.

A better approach may be what my friend Nate asked the other day, "What if your grand calling is to lay the ground work for a movement that will happen long after you die?" This is exactly the kind of life God is applauding in the account of the simply faithful, obedient ones listed in the Book of Hebrews' "hall of faith"... 

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"Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours."

—Hebrews 11:39-40, Message

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The truth is that more than being at the cutting-edge forefront of something and leading the way, our higher calling in walking out the Kingdom is to be trailblazers in daily faithfulness and Love lived out loud for others to follow or to build upon, and to keep pointing to The Way as we go...whether sitting at a desk or behind the wheel all day, or homeschooling kids, or providing meals for those in need, or laboring alone in farm, forest, or factory, or.... And in God's eyes, apparently, that is all a very beautiful thing: "these were all commended for their faith." (Hebrews 11:39)

Even so, the battle to press on as trailblazers and keep stirring the embers is real, and for a lifetime. But because the gift within us is His, we can rest assured that it also has His power, love, and confidence/assurance behind it to accomplish what He desires—in His time and His method. And often, the best way to fan the flame within is to speak aloud to our soul what is True:

"It is God Himself who has made us what we are, and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago, He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” (Ephesians 2:10, Living)

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." -Jim Elliot

[ADAPTED FROM 6-15-14]