Courage

     I'm sitting here looking at my computer screen and the one single word that keeps running through my mind is . . . COURAGE.  Right along with courage, like little ducklings in a row, would be bravery and strength of heart. . .  I admire these qualities greatly!!!
     The first pictures that come to my mind when I think of bravery are the strong pioneers, or the strength of a missionary in a foreign land.  The persecuted are another depth of brave courage that I stand in awe of.  Such inner strength to endure under such strain on spirit and body . . . leaves me speechless, with deepest respect.
     But there's the hidden, unseen courage, that is so subtle, so tucked away, as if as a shy shadow, only recognized when observed closely.  The tender, soft, intangible courage that is sometimes so hidden that nobody but the very person themselves, can know the extent of the courage tucked underneath, though courage be the farthest word from the person's thoughts.
     I'm remembering the story of a little boy, who was being faced with a vicious sounding, big, dog.  The dog barked wildly, terrifying the little boy.  He needed to walk past the dog to get to his destination and with all the inner strength he could muster, he finally gathered enough courage to run past the dog that was standing in his way.  Later when telling his Mom, the story, he was so disappointed to inform her that he was scared and not at all brave.  That's when his Mother told him that he actually was very brave.  It wasn't the lack of fear, but the courage he had to face the fear and push through what would otherwise have held him back.
     It seems sometimes when courage is the farthest from our vocabulary, when we are feeling the weakest . . . most vulnerable . . . more heart muscles are being used, that courageous would actually describe it best.
     It's the friend who attends yet another baby shower, when she herself feels the pain of her absents of a child . . . the inner strength that rices to face the very thing that would seek to choke you and beckon you to crawl in a shell, to avoid . . . the courage to face the fear that would hold you back, (though you be the only one to know that subtle personal weakness).  It's rejoicing with someone who has what your heart longs for. . . It's the choice to keep ones eyes fixed on Jesus, when your heart wants to question; to try and understand. 
     It's the inner strength that only Jesus can give.  When ones own heart is weak, that is when He comes through the strongest!  He sees that heart.  He sees that courage.  He rises to give the strength that would otherwise fail you and He's proud of you!
     He's proud of the way you depend on Him; leaning heavily on His strength when you can't do it yourself.  He sees the courageous brave heart, that refuses to give in, to succumb to defeat, to protect ones own heart from pain.  He sees it when nobody else does! 
   

Hand in Hand

We recently got to have my brother and his wife and my little niece at our house for one whole week!!!! There is something pretty special about being aunt for the first time and we definitely squeezed out every moment of her being here!!
One of the things we did was to go to the dam not far from our place, splashing in the icy cold water . . . and trying not to fall.
All was well, on the rough stones that gave some grip under your feet, but step out on some of that moss covered rock and . . . watch your step!!! That stuff was nasty!! I um . . . testify to the affects of a bad slip! One minute I was up, and before I had time to blink, I was sitting in water. Let's just say I never knew bruises could turn such, "kinda pretty", shades of deep purple!
I love these pictures, and one of the reasons, besides the fact that she's the cutest niece around, is that I've been thinking of me and my Daddy, and how simple and easy my life is as I walk hand in hand with Jesus! I have a little collection of some of my favorite verses referring to God holding our hand . . .

The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord.  He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble they will not fall, For the Lord holds them by the hand.
 Ps. 37: 23&24 NLT
 

The Lord says,
I will guide you along the best pathway
for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you. Ps. 32:8 NLT




. . . I am holding you by your right hand -
I the Lord you God.
And I say to you, Do not be afraid.
I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:13 NLT

Am I walking hand in hand with Jesus through every step of life? Just like my niece, I too can't walk without holding on to Jesus! I will fall, I will go in the wrong direction, and make a mess of things.
Sometimes it's skipping with Daddy, and sometimes it's letting Daddy lead us through slippery places but whatever the place we find ourselves in the journey it is so securing to have the confidence that Jesus is directing one step at a time. I may not know what the next step is to be, or how to walk through a particular rough, slippery spot, but all I need is to feel my hand firmly in His! Loving His presence, and talking with Jesus! This is the life!!!!!!!

The "Remodeler"

     My sisters and I had to picture and plan how the living room would look with it's fresh paint job, before we started painting.  It was the choice of color to put on the wall that would lighten the room, then the offset color that was to go on the back wall behind the couch.  It needed to be just the right tint . . . not too light, . . . so as not to look bla with the light colored couch.  A nice medium brown would be perfect. 
     We scanned the color cards in the paint section.  What would be the perfect, blend??  Wow!  This was harder then we thought; so much to chose from.  Ah yes "Firewood Brown", that would do it.
     You see the deal was, this was a surprise!  Dad and Mom were gone, and by the time they came back there was gonna be a totally different look going on.
     . . . and then the mess!!!  OH WOW the mess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Everything shuffled and moved hither and yon, furniture all out of place, pushed into the middle until there were only paths through the living room.  Then the plastic lining the walls, taping the edges, ect ect.  This was no easy procedure!!!
     I seem to learn things best through pictures, and this was no exception.  I started thinking . . . again! : )  The whole idea of Jesus being a carpenter when He was on earth just seemed pretty, well . . . so Him!  A carpenter has to dream, and see potential in something, visualize the finished product, before setting to work.  I could see Him being one that would like remodeling, or taking old stuff and redoing it to bring out it's beauty that nobody else would have thought of.  At least that's the Jesus I know Him to be in my life.
     I started looking around me at the mess, my living room had become.  The chaos, the dirt, things out of place, and so not pretty.  If we had added remodeling to our project, we would have had walls knocked out, and inside studs exposed; showing what the house was made of, (which in the case of our house wouldn't have been much to be proud of).  : )
     Sometimes I have felt like that upheaveled room, exposed, confused, out of control, unknown dirt brought to the surface and the list goes on.  The thing about us, when our lives aren't pretty, is that we can't picture what our "Remodeler" is picturing.
    I imagine Him up there saying, just a little touch of hardship, a little experience of that . . . ah yes, if she responds right to that, it will bring out that side of her a little more.  He is the Creator, the "Remodeler", the Carpenter!
     So next time, I find myself in a situation I don't understand, I'm being stretched, exposed, unsettled . . . just maybe Jesus, is remodeling, and just maybe He is picturing the finished product of what He wants to work out in my life.
     And just to throw in another random thought . . . we had fun showing off our finish product to our Dad and Mom.  I think just maybe Jesus enjoys presenting us to His Father. . . showing off His progress of  perfecting us . . . from glory to glory.  : )

Let God . . .

As for God, His way is perfect! Psalm 18:30

Let God choose for you, it will be the right decision.
Let God guide you, it will be the right direction.
Let God plan for you, it will be in the right timing.
Let God measure for you, it will be the right portion.
Let God help you, it will be the right care.
Let God instruct you, it will be the right teaching.
Let God prepare you, it will be the right training.
Let God counsel you, it will be the right perspective.
Let God fight for you, it will be the right outcome.
Let God work in you, it will be the right result.

-Roy Lessin, DaySpring co-founder and writer

"Grandpa"

     I still can't believe He's gone!  The man who had become Grandpa to me; filling that gaping Grandpa spot that was vacant, now gone! 
     The hard part . . . was he ready?  I think back over the talks, the many times my sister and I prayed on the way to his house asking Jesus to flow through us, help us know just what to say and what not to say.  He had so many questions, was so fascinated by our life style, our faith.  How many times he would marvel at our unshaken belief in God, our peace, and well something he just couldn't put his finger on.
     We were at his house for a meal one night and the next evening we get the call that he was gone.  Maybe even gone that same night.  His wife was on a trip and found him gone when she got back.  Wow!  We had had such a nice evening, he had done a lot of talking, reminiscing old times, even telling us some dark secrets of his past. 
     Wow!  So we were the last people he saw before he passed on.  Would I have done or said anything different?  How would I have handled it if I would have known?  But I didn't . . . but God did! 
     I remember while sitting there that last evening, asking Jesus to use us and direct how He wanted to use us, and I have to trust He did.  I felt the reassurance that even when we didn't always say something, when we were just listening to his stories, our spirits, Jesus flowing through us, was still making an impact.
     But I wish I really knew!  I feel for his wife who also has been doing a lot of prayer for him and was concerned for his soul.  But I have to know that we filled the spot we were suppose to fill.  We pointed him to Jesus, we prayed, we lived out our faith and the rest is with God.
     We sure will miss you, "Grandpa"!!!  And I really . . . really hope, we get to see you again!!!
    

Dreams

     All of us dream.  Some of us have big dreams and small dreams, little wishes and big ones.  It's always so much fun when those dreams come to pass; you've finally been able to realize the thing, that before was only a nice distant thought.  Unfortunately most of us also know what shattered, broken, delayed dreams are.
     We can relate with the little girl who finds herself sitting beside a broken splintered wood heap that once were her dream.  Her dream, play house.  She had spent hours dreaming of all the fun and memories she would make in her little house.  The friends she'd have over.  The parties.  The sleep overs.  Everything a little girl would dream of.  Only to find herself sitting in a puddle of tears by the ruins that once were her dreams.
     Daddy, her big protector, the one who had helped her build this house . . . had He helped her dream, to build, only to take it back down?  The little girl struggles to wrap her mind around how this could be love.  Something so unfair!!!  She sees all the other lovely houses, and stares blankly at the ruins in front of her.
     Across the field walks Daddy, and stoops to wipe the fallen tear and smiles with those eyes so full of compassionate love.  "Girly, it IS because I love you!  You see I have dreams too.  My plans and My dreams for you are way beyond yours.  You dream big but I dream BIGGER!  I had to take your play house down, so I could reconstruct what I'm dreaming for you.  Give Me the broken pieces, the splintered broken wood, and just watch what I will do with them.  And He looks deep into the little girl's eyes, winks, and pulls her to her feel . . . you just watch!!!"
     And so God speaks . . . then I wonder if I really remember Whose talking, Who this really is!!!  This is the One who created the universe, the galexies, the complexity of the human body, so many wonderful, amazing things, that boggle my mind.  When God plans, He makes plans out of this world, way beyond us, more then we would ever dream of!  So God wants to change our plans, my plans??  Who am I to question the way He oporates, what He's doing?  If it's a God thing, I most likely won't understand it all.  He's God!!!  And when God dreams and plans . . . He dreams BIG!!!!
     I have a feeling our human minds don't look at big the same way God does either.  His scale of big is so often different then our scale.  What if part of the big plan, is the way it draws us closer to Jesus, teaches us to take our heart ache to him, to find our total security and fulfillment in Him!  And really . . . that is BIG!!