All in Challenge
I thought my word for 2022 would be contentment. The more I contemplated, the more I realized my word would be discontentment. I am not content with staying where I am spiritually. I want to know God more deeply. I want to pray more intentionally for my nation and family. I want to increase in loving and giving.
Tomatoes, when they need pruning, have little growths (sucker shoots) that spring up between the stem and branches that becomes another stalk. This little shoot is in constant competition for nutrients with the original plant. It might result in more tomatoes, but each one will be smaller. The bigger the shoot grows, the more cumbersome it becomes and more effort it takes to keep it staked.
One of the fun adventures I got to enjoy with my daughters as a Girl Scout Troop Leader was our camping trips. We had many opportunities to camp in a scout’s backyard, camp by the lake, and even camp at SeaWorld in San Antonio. On each of these trips, one of the most essential items to have was a flashlight.
My girls loved playing hide and seek when they were younger. The thrill of finding the perfect hiding sport with the hope of outsmarting the seeker created a fun game for the whole family. Hide and Seek may be a fun game to play with family or friends, but we can never play it with God.
My husband and I had invited several of our neighbors over for dinner. Glancing around the dinner table this verse came to my mind.
My Grandmother had a funny way with words in order to get her point across. Some of her favorite sayings were: “This is how the cow ate the corn”, as she grabbed your knee to get your attention, “Well, shoot a monkey,” when things did not go her way, and “A little bird told me,” when she was curious about something she had heard.
Israel was faced with impossible odds when they looked at what was before them in the land of Canaan. God promised them this land, but seeing what they were up against was beyond their comfort zone and physical capabilities.
My son wants me to cut his hair. This is surprising. He likes his hair long. It’s not just long, but ponytail long. He could play a convincing role as Jesus. He does have beautiful hair. It is thick and shiny and wavy.
In the movie “Facing the Giants,” one of the themes that runs throughout the storyline is loving God even when He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want. The main couple, Grant and Brooke Taylor, struggle with infertility. This is a heartbreaking disappointment that is part of many women’s stories. So much pain and grief accompany such loss.
Over the last seven months, my world has felt uprooted. We left my hometown for my husband’s job in Fort Worth. It was fun for a while. We looked for a home, putting in many offers, but nothing landed.
Were there tears of frustration? You bet. Lord, I don’t understand. You promised to provide.
The Lord’s speech out of the whirlwind is over. Only once has He stopped for a breath and Job dared to speak: “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?” (40:4).
Finally, God breaks His silence. But He doesn’t come walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8) as He came to question Adam and Eve. Nor does He come in a gentle whisper as to Elijah on the mountain (1 King 19:12). He comes out of a storm, a literal whirlwind, not angry but overwhelming and intense, questioning, challenging.
That question, “What do you want me to do for you?” I had never considered it for myself, but decided to give it a try.
Have you ever been in a tight spot…a place of restriction and confinement? Perhaps circumstances have narrowed your world. Maybe the decisions ahead seem bridled and limited. Could it be that your heart is bound up in despair and hopelessness?
I was up in the wee hours last night. Now that my babies are teenagers, my mid-night awakenings are my own fault and not their hunger or restlessness. I walked to the back of the house where uncovered windows face the inky backyard, and I was amazed at how just a tiny bit of ambient light chases the darkness away. Regardless of how deep and long and wide the darkness, just a speck of light can reveal things hidden.
“Why do you love God?, the bitter woman spewed at my mother.
“I love Him because I know Him,” she answered quietly.
I wish I had known Jonathan. Scripture does not tell us much about this man, but when I think of him, I envy the friendship he shared with David. We know from 1 Samuel 18:1 that Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.
I love this action verb, “walk.” In fact, I love a good walk…..one that awakens my senses and gets my blood pumping. I love a walk in the early morning hours when darkness becomes light and I can think through the day ahead. But the best kind of walks are those sweet evening walks with my beloved better half….how I love him and enjoy every moment in his presence. I particularly cherish time alone with him, hand in hand, discussing the day or our plans and dreams or our concerns for the children. That brief get-away sustains me, nourishes me. It reminds me of his love for me. It makes me feel secure and tenderly cared-for. It renews and refreshes my love for him, and my heart is open to his words, instructions and longings.
Do you know what an Everything Bagel is? It’s a bagel topped with a variety of seeds, garlic, onions, and a salt mixture. It’s unlike other bagels that typically are plain, or have one topping. I enjoy Everything Bagels, yet sometimes I relish a one-topping bagel with satisfaction.
Often we are amazed by a believer’s perseverance in adversity and her confidence in God’s promises. Such people demonstrate a spiritual fullness that many of us long to have. A closer look reveals that they have followed Jesus’ example and surrendered all to God.
