Trust in the Lord and be Blessed
I remember when Rob and I started our life together. I had just come back from being stationed in Korea, we each had over $400 in phone card bills and we both had very little to our names. We had to move from Raleigh to Washington, DC. This began the series of events that could only be orchestrated by God. Rob’s brother gave us $20. Those dollars were the only way we paid for gas to make the trip (that tells you how long ago if $20 could get us from Raleigh to DC!) One of my fellow officers offered his townhome to us while he was stationed in Korea at a rental fee below my housing allowance and his pantry was FULL!! We found a local restaurant that we could by a rotisserie chicken and get one free and we rolled change to be able to buy groceries. We didn’t have much, but we had all we needed. We attended church but my relationship with God was not as it is today. As I look back, it is clear that God was with us all along this journey.
Just a little reminder
As I sat in prayer this evening I came to 1 Corinthians and it reminded me of the different ways we can and should meet people where they are. Paul reminds us that he chose to meet people where they are in order to bring them to salvation. He says that “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law, so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law, so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:19-22, NIV). On the surface, this may seem as if Paul is a chameleon that changes based on his environment in order to bring others to Christ. It may seem like he is not sincere or truthful to who he is. I argue that Paul remains truthful to who he is and he is a child of God that is meeting them where they are to help them see where they could be. He does not turn his back on God and follow other laws or traditions, he is simply respectful of the environment of those he is seeking to draw closer to God. Shouldn’t we do the same? Should we only speak to fellow believers or should we be bold and seek people where they are to show them how God works in our lives?
It is Finished
I have read the story of the crucifixion more times than I can count. I have yet been able to watch the “Passion of the Christ”. The suffering that we humans placed on Jesus is beyond comprehension and I struggle reading about it let alone seeing it on a movie screen. In recent years, I read the story multiple times and imagine what it would have been like to be present that day. I imagine myself as Pilate, having to sentence Jesus even though he disagreed with the Jewish leaders. I can feel his angst as he realizes that there is no right choice in this matter. I imagine myself as the Jewish leaders asking for the unthinkable as all they believed in, as their power, is threatened by this humble man. I can feel their fear that drives them to shout “Crucify!” I imagine myself as the soldiers doing their job and already numb to the horrors they are called to do time and again. I imagine myself as Simon wishing he had scheduled his trip at a different time, wondering why he was selected to carry the cross. I imagine the women wanting to hold on to Him just a little longer and the depth of sorrow they must have felt. I imagine myself as Peter denying Jesus when asked, nowhere near as bold in my faith when feeling personally threatened. I can imagine myself in all these shoes, but not in the shoes of Jesus.
How do we remember those we have lost
Death has been top of mind the last few days. I have gone from sending prayers of comfort for the loss of a loved one to sharing news of the loss of a fellow warrior and hearing of the imminent loss of a loving father. All lived long, experienced much, and impacted countless lives. Their stories remain. “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them” (Revelation 14:13, NIV). They no longer suffer, they are no longer in pain, their deeds are not only seen by God, but they are remembered by those of us who remain on this earth. They have earned their rest in living in the Lord.
Pray in every moment
I love the verses in Ephesians about putting on the Armor of God, but recently, I was reminded of the following verse where after we put on the Armor of God, we are called to pray. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6: 18, NIV). We are called to not only adorn ourselves with the Armor of God, to use our faith as a shield against evil, but to also be prayerful for our brothers and sisters. What a powerful message.
What a road trip
When the Moore Family makes a commitment, we stick with it. My dear friend’s son competes in hockey and we told him if he made it to Nationals we would be there. Guess what-they won. So, this morning, we found ourselves traveling over 8 hours to Pennsylvania to watch him play in the National Championship. Since Hope has a dance competition this weekend, it is an up and back trip so we can make it back in time for her special event this Sunday. Insane, right? I have watched these four young boys grow before my eyes and I couldn’t be prouder of each of them. This weekend, it was all about supporting Oliver.
Listening to God’s guidance
There have been times in my life when I felt God’s nudge and did not respond. It led to missed opportunities and sadly, to the loss of a friend without a final goodbye. I no longer ignore the nudges. “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life” (Psalms 143:8, NIV). God reminds us to trust Him and to follow where He guides us. He doesn’t say follow when it’s convenient or when it is what I want to do or when it benefits me. He reminds us to put our trust in Him, completely. He reminds us that we should seek His guidance on where we should go-what we should do.
New beginnings and Spring
I love Spring. This spring, not only have I enjoyed watching the beautiful flowers burst forth from the bulbs planted in the fall, I am also experiencing new beginnings in both my civilian and military jobs. New beginnings are never easy. To start new, you likely have to say goodbye to parts of your past. Just like the tulips and hyacinths growing in my garden, it requires change and transformation in order to fully experience these new roles. As my flowers struggled to break through the soil, the conditions and environment had to be just right to enable them to flourish and grow. New beginnings are similar. The conditions are often set to help you succeed, but you have to be willing to break through the soil by meeting new people, learning different tasks-getting out of the comfort of being buried in the soil where it is warm and safe. But when you break through, when you allow yourself to be uncomfortable-look at what beauty comes forth!
Treasures on earth are not what we should seek
One of the amazing things I get to do with the military is travel to Africa with our partnerships. On one of my first trips to Botswana, I sat and watched a cultural night where the artists showcased music and dancing across all the regions and tribes. I fell in love with the country and culture and couldn’t wait to bring my family back. We returned for Spring break the following year and traveled across Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our guide happened to be from the local tribe near the resort. We asked him if we could spend a day with his tribe. As we pulled in, he showed us the remnants of a home and smiled as he told us that he was not strong enough and that was all that remained of his first home. As we continued, I started coming up with solutions. I knew how we could bring power with solar panels, running water and a water tank, and how we could modernize this village. Then it happened, a young girl stood outside her hut and smiled and waved and you could hear her laughter on the wind. Our treasures are in Heaven and not of this earth. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20, NIV).
Waiting for the perfect picture, losing the moment
This week I am still thinking about the ocean! Rob and I are both scuba divers and we took our oldest daughter diving in Indonesia in celebration of her graduation from high school. We traveled close to three days to arrive at our destination directly opposite to North Carolina on the globe. We were ready to go as we watched everyone around us prepping all their camera gear and continuing to prepare for the dive. We saw all of it! Walking sharks, not one, but many pygmy seahorses. It was amazing. God reminds us that “whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap” (Ecclesiastes 11:4, NIV). Fretting and worrying about what may be coming or focusing on the picture you plan to share with others causes us to miss on living in the moment.