The Eyes Of Fall

Something about the colors of fall make my steps lighter, fills me with a sense of well being, and permeates my spirit with joy. It causes me to slow down, inhale the crisp air deep into my lungs, and puts a smile on my face. I drive around with an intense awareness of God's beauty in creation. I marvel at the colors on the mountains; in the trees; in the green, green fields and the yellow, yellows of the soy crops. I am amazed at the multiple colors in a changing tree with turning leaves of green, red, yellow and orange . . . all at the same time, in the same tree! I realize in this season, perhaps more than any other, just how spectacular God is. Just how marvelous is His creation and just how big and grand His works are! I find myself in awe. A place I rarely find myself anymore. To be awe-struck. You know that place don't you? Where you are stopped in your tracks, wide-eyed, jaw-dropped, speechless, you can't fill your eyes enough, and all that comes out is a whisper . . . w-o-w!

What a shame. The season of fall is so short. Why is it that I'm not awe-struck by God's handiwork all year long? What has captured my daily life in such a way, that I seldom notice the beauty of God's creation . . . EVERY season? Oh, don't get me wrong. I love spring nearly as well. O.K. . . I'll admit, I'm not crazy about summer and winter . . . oh, yeah . . . I like that too! But, I don't find myself breathing as deeply, and I don't find myself staring in awe at a tree! I don't find myself pondering deeply about God, when I wipe the sweat from my brow.

So, what is it about ME, that causes me to not look as deeply, with the same appreciation for my Creator, every day, and every season of the year? Why am I able to carry on with "daily living" and not notice or take into account the marvelousness of the one who created and is creating?

Isaiah 42:20 says

"You have seen many things, but you do not observe them. Your ears are open, but none hears."

My prayer today is; Lord, God . . . give me eyes to see YOU daily. Give me ears to hear You speak! Isn't it the greatest cry of my heart to be an observer of the things and the ways and the beauty of God? YES!! And yet, I realize that it's up to me to look intently until I see, and to listen quietly and patiently UNTIL I hear! And, since patience is a fruit of the spirit, along with self-control; then I already have the ability to accomplish the task of having eyes to see and ears to hear.

And so . . . I realize that I must practice being a "fall" person every day and not lie down to rest until I can claim that I've seen the Lord!

Cave Dwelling

Yesterday, I listened to a sermon and as I sat there, I was no longer listening to the speaker. Instead I was getting lost in a moment of reflecting on the text. For a moment, I was hearing from heaven and God was speaking to me. God revealed an area of my life to be cautious about. An area of my life to be warned against and a new challenge to practice. The sermon was based on the scripture from I Samuel 22:1-5 which reads:

So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men. Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold. One day the prophet Gad told David, “Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah.” So David went to the forest of Hereth. (New Living Translation)

Saul is seeking to kill David who has resorted to hiding out in caves. I'm sure that he feels alone, abandoned, and rejected. In chapter 21 we read that God sends a friend, Jonathan who comforts him. But, he isn't alone long. In short order 400 "grumpy-old-men" join him. Folks who are unhappy, discontent, running from their own debt. The debt could be financial as in a loan; or maybe they just want to get out from under the debt owed to someone who helped them in the past, but now they realize they will never stop owing their benefactor. They realize they will forever pay with their own kidney! You know the kind of debt I speak of, right? Can you imagine be surrounded by 400 unhappy, complaining, whining, belly-aching folks that you might think even Jesus couldn't make happy! Well, this is the lot that has surrounded him . . . and even worse . . . many are family!

I bet David longed for the days when the cave was filled with just the encouragement of one dear friend, instead of this brood of troubled souls. David finds it necessary to hide out his own parents for safe keeping, but is still counting on God for help. He's still expecting God to get him out of this fix!

Then, God sends the prophet Gad to speak to David, and I find his words truly marvelous. He said, "David, get up out of this stronghold, and don't return to it again." Wow! That statement struck me powerfully this morning.

You see, I've retreated to that cave before. And in fact, I know that cave all too well. I have retreated to that cave . . . alone . . . isolated . . . feeling rejected . . . as a means of self protection and shelter, several times in my life. And, I've found that in no short order, the enemy has supplied me with as many grumbling, unhappy, miserable people to join me in the midst of my cave dwelling and I could stand! Satan will always supply you with equally miserable people!

But, God doesn't want us to dwell there. He did not create us to dwell in caves, instead He expects us to be vulnerable desert dwellers, who depend on Him, trust in Him, and find our oasis in HIM! You won't find an oasis in a cave in the dark. Instead, God wants us to get up out of "our" places of shelter . . . our caves that turn into strongholds. Places where . . . OK, we may be secure, where maybe no one can hurt us from this vantage point . . . but these caves of security often become our own self-created strongholds! We become trapped in the snare of the fowler . . . and the fowler is satan, our enemy.

So, God told David to get up out of that stronghold, and He's told me the same thing. God didn't rescue David out of the stronghold, he told David to get out of it so he COULD be rescued by God . . . and he was!

I'm aware that I need to be careful of my times of cave dwelling, as they may be more of a hindrance to me than I ever imagine!

Houses and Holly Hock Ups!

I walked into this little bitty house and was disgusted immediately! The putrid smell of animal urine repelled me. The size of the house disappointed me. And, once again, I felt that life situations were dictating yet another one of those times when I was taking a step backward instead of forward. Another of those times when I had to "settle" and be happy about it. How many times had life hit me square in the face and pushed me down, held me back and repressed me? I couldn't begin to count the number of times. By now, I knew all the right responses . . . "don't look a gift horse in the mouth." "Be thankful for what you have, since that is much more than others." "Bloom where you're planted." Yes, I knew all of those . . . but it didn't matter. I was sad, and I cried out to God . . . I was angry and had no control over my situation.

Then, I did what I had done so many times before. I wiped my tears, rolled up my sleeves and set my mind to make the best of it. In that moment of resolve, God met me. I didn't realize it then, in fact, it would be a number of years before I realized how much that little "cracker box" house would mean to me.

My mother and I laughed more gut-wrenching giggles during those days of ripping up stinky carpet, being chased out of the house by bleach fumes, and hours of painting. My father and I bonded ever more so (as if that were possible) during those days of house repairs, post-hole digging and the sawing of boards for the car-port. Those times of laughing over weeds that I watered, the digging up of holly hocks (or as mom and I called it . . . digging holly hock-ups), pecan tree planting, big gardens and paths across the alley from my back door to theirs. In fact, memories of that house, and that time in my life are so sweet now, that I regret ever being so upset about having to "step-down" instead of step-up. It was a step up and I didn't realize it. I had always wanted to live around my parents, but my life had never been afforded that dream. How would I have known when I moved into that little house, that so many dreams would be fulfilled from that very spot? I wouldn't have, and that's exactly my point.

God never promised us a life without pain, or a life with out storms. God never says that we wouldn't face those dark days . . . instead, what God says is that when we face them . . . and we will, He will always be with us in the storm!

As I was reading this morning in Job, I was facinated to notice that both satan and God had their eye on Job. Satan was interested in testing his faith, and God was interested in turning Job's test into his testimony! But, between the test and the testimony there was much wresting with God and faith. Even Job's wife and friends flat out stood against Job and Job found himself alone with his struggle of faith. Finally, after being overwhelmed with the test, he began to spill forth with all the pent up frustration he had regarding God, and what appeared to Job as God's lack of intervention on his behalf. What I find interesting in this story, is that God never struck Job for speaking so forwardly in anguish toward Him. Instead, the example Job leaves me is this; when in the midst of the test, don't agree with the words of anyone when it goes against God and God's promises. Instead, keep stirring up your faith and when overcome with anguish, go to God with it, not anyone else!

Then Job PRAYED for those who betrayed him, and his faith. Job then goes the extra mile . . .listen to what it says in Job 42:10:

"And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold."

WOW! He prayed for those who had rejected him. He prayed for those who heaped condemnation on him! He prayed for those who threw salt into his wounds, so to speak. And God met him there. Scripture goes on to say in verse twelve "And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning..."

I realized that my testings are no different than Job's, God always has a plan for me, one with a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11) and the future is always better than the past. I lived in a nice, large house across town . . . then came the test . . . and I moved to a little "cracker box" house . . . ah, but it proved that God's future was indeed greater. I had precious time with my parents in a way I would not have otherwise experienced. I was able to decorate and furnish this home in way I would never have been able to in the other, since the other was a rental and this little home was owned by me (a my uncle holding the note). It was the first home I ever owned by myself (after divorce). It was from there I received my call into full time pastoral ministry, and that house and time in my life hold so many wonderful memories. The future was in fact SO much better than I expected! I went to God and cried out in anguish . . . and He met me there.