A cheerful heart
I don’t know about you, but days where I have long meetings can be draining. Even more draining when it is a few days back to back. This has been one of those weeks! On days, weeks, like this, I find great comfort and uplifting in laughter. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22, NIV). It is so easy to focus on the long days, and as noted in the Proverb, find yourself drained of life as the sun begins to set. Instead, our team found laughter throughout yesterday and today. It makes the days not just bearable, but enjoyable-cheerful.
The ripple effect
A ripple effect is defined as something that triggers a chain reaction or a series of events expanding like the ripples seen in water. One small action, one small thing, can create a widespread impact. I love this visual of the concentric circles expanding from one common center, one action. That’s how I felt this weekend after my promotion ceremony. I don’t think I could have asked for a better day. The arrangements were beyond anything I could have imagined or desired and the team that put it together made the day feel even more special. Having my family and friends there or online to witness my ceremony reminded me of all the times they stood by me on this journey. After introductions, I stood in front of the attendees and started my speech with simple words, one little action. I thanked God, first and foremost, for being the foundation in my life where all else grows. I then shared Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, the same verses I shared in my blog last week. Little did I know the ripple effect that would occur from those simple words.
Satisfaction in your toil
Tomorrow is going to be a big day for the Moore family. As I sit here in a hotel room with the girls and half my family still back home, I can’t help but reflect on the significance of this day and the gift from God. Almost a year ago, I knew that change was coming. In the past, I would worry and fret on what would be changing. Would it be my civilian job? Was my time in the military done? Was it about my writing-was I going down the right path? Did it have to do with my family? I felt God preparing me and I chose to just trust and follow where he led me. I felt almost certain that it would be one door closing so another could open, boy was I wrong. It was all doors opening wide!
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.