The Power of Nothing to Say

“Lots of people were pressed against Jesus at that moment, but He immediately felt her touch; He felt healing power flow out of Him. He stopped. Everyone stopped. He looked around. “Who just touched My robe?” His disciples broke the uneasy silence: “Jesus, the crowd is so thick that everyone is touching You. Why do You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’” But Jesus waited. His gaze swept across the crowd to see who had done it. At last, the woman—knowing He was talking about her—pushed forward and dropped to her knees. She was shaking with fear and amazement. “I touched You.” Then she told Him the reason why. Jesus listened to her story. “Daughter, you are well because you dared to believe. Go in peace, and stay well.”—Mark 4:30-34, The Voice

Earlier this spring, I found myself becoming annoyed with someone who I didn’t really know but whose actions and words were like fingernails on a chalkboard. Everyone has these people in their lives, and maybe God has put them there for a good reason: “So, are you going to avoid them? Are you going to let the irritation get to you? Or are you going to try to see them the way I see them? What did Jesus do?”

A few days later while out walking, to my surprise, it was almost as though God lobbed a softball and said, “Here you go.”

Out of the corner of my eye, sitting all alone, there he was—the unknown source of my irritation. I could have walked right by, but for “some reason,” just like Jesus did on that day with the woman with the issue of blood, I stopped and said something lame like “sure is a beautiful day.” He agreed that it was and then, as if a dam inside had been about to burst if only someone cared, out gushed his simple life story that needed no commentary or advice or further probing…

“… Jesus listened to her.”

...Since that sidewalk encounter, everything has changed. For me, anyway. I understood better, I felt compassion rising up and smothering irritation, and I actually looked forward to seeing this fellow whenever the next time would be. I remember his faint smile as I went on my way and “thanks, and you have a good evening too, sir.”

I do not know where this will lead. I pray that it may become an open door someday for conversation about the One who truly heals and cares and loves. But if not, it was a reminder that the most effective evangelism methods are often not the loudest or with just the right words or randomly handing out a tract.

They begin, as Jesus modeled with the woman in this story, with listening before speaking. What the world needs now….

“I’ve never known anyone to find their way into the Kingdom without first being listened to. People don’t want to be indoctrinated. They want to be heard. Evangelism isn’t about getting up on a soapbox and preaching at someone. It’s about sitting down next to that person and turning down the volume.”

—Brad Roth, from “God’s Country: Faith, Hope and the Future of the Rural Church”

Who Knows?

Photo: Tri Nguyen Trong, pexels.com

“I've seen many searching for answers far and wide

But I know we're all searching

For answers only You provide

'Cause You know just what we need

Before we say a word…”

—from “Good, Good Father”

In these days, even those who are experts in their field seem to have unanswered questions and sometimes conflicting points of view.

Ultimately, no one knows anything for sure.

Except One.

One who has a spotless track record, who has never failed, who has never lied, who has never been indifferent to pain and suffering of every kind, and who has never been asleep at the switch.

His thoughts are not our thoughts (which can be very frustrating)

His timing is seldom our timing.

And He owes us no explanation (which can be really frustrating).

But we can know that whatever those thoughts may be, they will never be a “best guess.”

And though we may not see it now, God is even today working together all things for our good and for His glory.

Some who don’t understand God call that just a “crutch” to prop you up.

We don’t always understand God either, but by faith we call that a sure foundation amidst sinking sand:

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1)...

“I've heard a thousand stories of what they think You're like

But I've heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night

And You tell me that You're pleased

And that I'm never alone…”

So today, Lord, we resolve to continue to pray to You for deliverance and breakthrough…because You want us to. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

And we resolve to never give up, because You said not to. (Luke 18:1)

And we resolve to be wise and informed, all the while trusting that Your voice and wisdom will be the one that guards our hearts. (Psalm 62:2-5)

And most of all, we resolve to remember that we can always rest in the truth that the only One who has a spotless track record will always and forever continue to be…

“Perfect in all of Your ways to us...”

“...We cannot wrap our minds around God’s wisdom and knowledge! Its depths can never be measured! We cannot understand His judgments or explain the mysterious ways that He works! For, who can fathom the mind of the Lord? Or who can claim to be His advisor? Or, who can give to God in advance so that God must pay him back? For all that exists originates in Him, comes through Him, and is moving toward Him; So give Him the glory forever. Amen.”

—Roman 11:33-36, The Voice

Good Words Handed Down

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved on stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”—Pericles

Three lessons for a lifetime, from a life well lived…

1. Be Joyful

These difficult days, I walk past their smiling photo on my bureau and will once in awhile ask mom and dad, “all right, what’s going on Up There?” And all they do is smile back. For dad, it was part of his "good tools handed down." But today, I am focusing on the one on the right...

For mom, it wasn’t a plastic smile—it was genuine, and kind, and an overflow of what she felt about Jesus and life. Even in the pain. I remember it took mom a long time to get over losing a daughter shortly after childbirth, and she also often carried the weight of other people’s burdens as her own. But that smile. One of her friends at Summerhill said she smiled even when on her way to a doctor’s appointment on a cold day. Mom’s genuine smile was simply contagious. She might tell us today that her smile reflects 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Be cheerful, no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ to live.”

2. Be Selfless

Mom was continually giving herself away to benefit someone else, or meet them at their point of need. There are countless examples, but one that sticks in my mind was when we were at the burial service for my nephew Jason some 15 years ago. Mom noticed a group of Jason’s friends who had gathered off in the distance—and she set aside her own sorrow, traipsed through the dirt in her high heels, and went over to the group with a smile and invited them to join us. Her legacy of a self-less life is summed up in Philippians 2:3-5: “….with an attitude of humility, regard others as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests but also for the interests of others. Have the same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus…”

3. Be Wise

Mom was the wisest person I’ve ever known. She was often a woman of few words, but then she’d say something so profound that it cut to the heart of the matter. Wisdom listens before it speaks. Wisdom does not judge. Wisdom doesn’t enable. It’s just right, it’s what you need to hear, and always comes at the right time. I cannot tell you how many times mom’s quiet, profound wisdom helped me to see, or got me back on course. She was filled with wise words for life—something we all could use more of these days. As it says in James 3:17 (Living Bible), “Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. Then it is peace-loving and courteous. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It is wholehearted, straightforward, and sincere.”

These are just some of the things mom would have wanted to be woven into the lives of those she loved and knew, because our world surely needs more of them. And so, not to just have them woven into our own lives, but then to “pass it forward.”

And by all means, with a smile.

From the Celebration of the Life of Patricia A. Smith (October 27, 1929 to January 10, 2019), with love and encouragement to all who are missing their moms on this day.

Seeing What Matters

Photo: Johannes Plenio, pexels.com

“I know I shall see in His beauty the King in whose law I delight; Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps and giveth me songs in the night.”—from an old hymn, “Redeemed”

For every time I want to see all my ducks in order before stepping out,

To want to see what’s around the bend ahead before taking the first step,

To see ahead and find appealing the sidelines of retiring,

Let me see instead this one:

Someone who wrote more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs

(Including the one in the caption).

And not until after she was 40.

Someone who wrote four books of poetry.

Someone who played piano, AND organ, AND harp, AND guitar!

Someone who was the first woman to speak words of inspiration before the U.S. Senate.

Someone who gave away everything that was not necessary to her daily survival.

Someone who wanted to be remembered not as a creative but as one who served behind the scenes in an urban rescue mission

When other friends had long since retired.

Someone who, incredibly, never “saw” any of it.

Someone who was blinded shortly after birth but who lived a life of praise to God anyway.

Someone who once said about all of that:

“If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow, I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.”

—Fanny Crosby

Some would say Frances Jane van Alstyne Crosby was the very person Jesus was talking about when He said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29, NIV) But for every person who battles “beautiful and interesting” distractions in life and the need to have every duck lined up just so, an even greater inspiration from Fanny Crosby’s life might be this:

“You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him, and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.” (1 Peter 1:8)

It's good to know that it's never too late to press "Reset" ...and go!

Grateful for Words That God Can't Do

“…And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”—Matthew 28:20, New Living Translation

When the psalmist implores, “be still and know that I Am GOD,” the most wonderful and unexpected things can happen when you even attempt to put that promise to the test. And whenever they do, you wonder why you haven’t put it to the test more often. Daily. Throughout the day. But it’s also good to remember that good habits for a lifetime begin with one small bite. Or, one small bite all over again for the gazillionth time. It’s OK. The One whose Love endures forever seems to have an amazingly endless supply of patience and desire for us to draw near.

This week, during one of those small bites into God's goodness, the simple goal was to exhale, to get the brain to slow down for a few minutes, and marinate on who He is and who He has been faithfully in my life, during that day, in that moment—all the big things, of course, but anything of any size that came to mind. It’s all from His hands, after all. The awkward stillness began to disappear as the marinated list, and my attitude and faith, grew and grew. Until at one point, I was filled with gratitude and amazement overflowing about one thing in particular that took me by surprise:

There are certain words that God can’t do or be, simply because they are contrary to His nature. Words like "lie, "unfaithful," and "disappear." But there are also certain words concerning one timely topic in particular ("where are You, God?") that God can’t practice, for the same reason. For the God who can do anything, putting “God” and “can’t” in the same sentence seems nuts..until you utter these words:

Sleep.

Slumber.

Doze. 

Snooze.

Nap.

Siesta.

And, He can't "be" their multiple word cousins:

Asleep-at-the-switch.

Caught-off-guard.

Our day may be over when we crawl into bed at night, but for all who Believe, it’s jaw-dropping comforting to think that just when someone else’s day is beginning somewhere on the other side of the planet, God doesn’t just tuck us in for the night, forget us until morning, and go focus His attention on that one.

He can't. And He never will.

Even while we sleep, even in our dreams both cool and crazy, while our subconscious may be busy working through fears and desires and frustrations—and more importantly, even in our own bouts of insomnia, restlessness, excitement/anticipation, worry, weariness, or longing for a My Pillow—our God is always fully awake, always fully engaged:

“He holds you firmly in place; He will not let you fall. He who keeps you will never take His eyes off of you and never drift off to sleep. What a relief! The One who watches over Israel never leaves for rest or sleep.”  

—Psalm 121:3-4, Voice

[Updated from 2018]

A Sunrise Like None Other

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." —Romans 15:13, NIV

Not a breeze, not a bird’s early morning call, not a sound from creation

Only a holy hush greeted the rising of the sun this morning on this hilltop back road in my hometown

A praise of deafening silence

One filled with a symphony of unspeakable glory and seemingly every color on the Artist’s palette

As if all in heaven and on earth were breathless at the Promise,

Bowing at the wonder as perhaps never before

To celebrate more than just another new day, but:

“He is risen…just as He said.”

And as I join the silence, three more unspoken words stir assurance as never before:

Hope ... is ... alive! 

Three words which trigger memories of earlier words written, perhaps for such a morning in such a time as this…

A hope that is not wishful thinking but anchored in the only One with a perfect resume;

A hope that is not "out there somewhere” but that is as real and as close as your next breath.

The perfect theme song for this often-crazy-unpredictable Journey;

Especially right now.

The kind of tune that is good to have stuck in your head.

A hope that restores…joy unspeakable, but joy nonetheless

And peace.

And trust for putting one foot in front of the other.

Over and over again…

And so in the deafening silence, before a sunrise like none other, my heart this day joins all of creation:

“Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You.”—Psalm 143:8

Lean on Me

Photo: Felix Mittermeier, pexels.com

“Your word is like a lamp for my feet

    and a light for my path— it shows how life should be lived.”—Psalm 119:112, Expanded Bible

Adapted from a journal entry written 10 days before the world went on lockdown. It's since proven to be an encouragement. With God, there are no coincidences…

I have taken this verse as my theme verse for the year. Even today, it is interesting to “see” with this Lamp (which is more than words of counsel but a Person) that the context is not blue skies by day and bright moonlight by night. It is a vow said in a time of darkness, and fear, and uncertainty. Favorite verse? Really, is that your vow in such a time? Where do you really go first, honestly? What do you really rely on in such times? How often during trial or stress do you spend more time processing circumstances around and around in your own brain rather than resting in the guidance of the Lamp? A kindred verse comes to mind…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding. Agree with Him in all your ways,

and He will make your paths straight.”

—Proverbs 3:5-6, NLV

...So really, your theme verse of the year is not so much about direction as it is a call to be steadfast in every season—when you can see clearly and especially when you cannot. When your natural tendency is to lean toward “I can figure this thing out on my own,” the call to let the Lamp guide is definitely a personal challenge. But if it couldn’t be done, God would not have said so.

So keep your favorite verse, but be alert, be wise, and lean on the Lamp to help you navigate the realities of this life:

"Cast the whole of your care—all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all—on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.

Be well balanced—temperate, sober of mind—be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring in fierce hunger, seeking someone to seize upon and devour.

Withstand him; be firm in faith against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined...

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who imparts all blessing and favor, Who has called you to His own eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you."—1 Peter 5:7-10, Amplified Classic

“Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. Faith is absolute trust in God—trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us.”

—Oswald Chambers

Selah...