The Blessed Life, is filled with God’s people

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blessing, Christianity, God, hope, Jesus, prayer, Religion, Scripture

You all know by now that I have been/am stressed about my current situation.  Waiting to hear from God about where he is calling me, trying to live on a half-salary that barely covers rent and essentials, worrying about where I and “the critter” are going to live.  I have bounced between faith and despair, doubt and confidence, hope and hopelessness.  

Then I got an email from a person who has been a friend since the first congregation I served in over 20 years ago.  She reminded me that when she was nearing the end of a job and facing homelessness and financial difficulty that the person who advised her reminded her that financial worries were something that was stressful and that worrying despite praying was perfectly normal and natural.  The person who validated her feelings and supported her in that concern with this wise counsel–was me.  Such a reminder that we have the keys to our own healing, the wisdom to our own seeking, and the guidance for our own growth–if we only look to the Spirit who lives within us.  I felt humbled and blessed.

But it got better than that, as this very same friend relayed to me a blessing from Scripture saying that God had revealed to her his greatness as she was reading Genesis Chapter 1. Surely she said the God who created the universe out of chaos could make a place for her out of nothing….. and a place for me out of the chaos of my life.

Oh how I started to feel like God had filled my life with people whom he had created to be a blessing.

This past week I met someone.  She was a friend of a friend and as we sat together in my friends family room and chatted I was so impressed with her.  She was kind, generous, wise and gracious.  We found many things to talk about ….life, family, grandchildren and of course the friends we shared, who have left a trail of blessing everywhere they have been.  As she took her leave the next morning, she came to me and whispered a blessing from Proverbs.  

God had brought someone new into my life and used her as a blessing.  God’s people, whether we know them or not are those through whom he blesses us.

I later looked it up the passage my new friends had mentioned, this section was a part of a whole series of blessings.  Immediately I greedily thought, “I want this whole passage”.  Well duh! God’s word is God’s word for me, whether someone speaks it specifically to me or not.  God’s word is God’s word for me even when I don’t know it or read it.  But if I want to know what that blessing is, I have to read it, wrestle with it, pray over it and allow God to release it into my life.  

So today I open myself up to God’s blessing, his whole blessing, as well as those blessings brought to me by his loving people.  And because God’s word is a gift to you as well as to me I open it up to you as well.  May these blessings from God fill your lives to overflowing and may you in turn be a part of his blessing to the world.

Proverbs 3

My child, do not forget my teaching,

   but let your heart keep my commandments; 
for length of days and years of life
   and abundant welfare they will give you. 

Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
   bind them round your neck,
   write them on the tablet of your heart. 
So you will find favour and good repute
   in the sight of God and of people. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
   and do not rely on your own insight. 
In all your ways acknowledge him,
   and he will make straight your paths. 
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
   fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 
It will be a healing for your flesh
   and a refreshment for your body. 

Honour the Lord with your substance
   and with the first fruits of all your produce; 
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
   and your vats will be bursting with wine. 

 

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Do you love me more than these?

Tags

Acrostic, Callilng, faith, God, Jesus, love, prayer, servanthood

Today in worship we looked at the gospel of John, where the disciples go fishing and then Jesus calls Peter out to a particular ministry.  The key thing, for all of us as we recognize, accept and fulfill our own calling is the answer to the question that Jesus asks Peter.

 

Do you love me more than these?

 

More than what?

 

More than whatever it is you are currently placing first in your life.  For Peter at that time it was fishing, maybe even the guilt of the times he denied Jesus.  For some of us it is the things we can’t let go of… the grudges we nurse against those who have hurt us, the television shows that take up too many hours of our day, the little somethin’ somethin’ before we go to bed… you know what it is for you, and I know what it is for me.

Time for me to take seriously what I said in the sermon today….

 

 

 

It is time to take a little walk with Jesus and answer the question…. “Ena, do you love me more than these?”

I LOVE YOU LORD

 

 

In the far reaches of my heart, O God, I ponder your calling

Love for you flows into me, but do I give love to you in equal measure?
Only you know the depth of my love, “Lord you know I love you.”
Visit me with your Spirit, flood my spirit with your grace, and call me forth
Encourage me into living what I preach, in serving you with a full measure of your love.

You know me Lord, you know I love you, Help my unlovingness
Open my heart to be more like yours
Until I soar with faith, dance with joy, and serve with deep compassion.

Lift me up Lord, lift me up and fill me with a servan’ts heart
Occupy my being with your Spirit
Redirect my footsteps as I take a little walk with Jesus
Direct me in your service.  Amen.

Burden….lifted

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Acrostic, Christianity, God, grace, Mercy, prayer, Religion, spirituality, Trust

Today I was out going to visit with a friend.  It was a short drive, through a coulee that had overflown due to the past five days of torrential rain.  Every where you looked the fields were flooded, the river was swollen over its banks and in spite of the reminders of the bad weather we are enjoying I felt…. unburdened.  I have no idea why.

And then this verse from Isaiah 4: 9 kept going through my mind….

For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

I am trying to learn to trust these messages from the Holy Spirit, and the message worked so well with the way that I have been feeling, that I simply said, “okay God.  I don’t know what you mean by this, but I know that I can trust you.”

 

 

So I am resolved to simply stay out of the way, and to let God do the work.  After all I am pretty certain that he is much better with the sledge-hammer and a jack-hammer than I am.

 

When I got home I looked up the whole passage, it is part of the beloved Scriptures that we read during Advent, when God proclaims freedom to his oppressed people and tells them that he has made plans for their salvation.  May the hope of this proclamation lift your hearts as it has mine.

Isaiah 9: 2-7  The Message
The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
    light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation,
    you expanded its joy.
Oh, they’re so glad in your presence!
    Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration,
    sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
    all their whips and cudgels and curses—
Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
    as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian.
The boots of all those invading troops,
    along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned,
    a fire that will burn for days!
For a child has been born—for us!
    the gift of a son—for us!
He’ll take over
    the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
    Strong God,
Eternal Father,
    Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
    and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He’ll rule from the historic David throne
    over that promised kingdom.
He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing
    and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
    beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
    will do all this.

I particularly liked the way this promise was phrased:  His ruling authority will grow,
    and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.  

No limits….

That’s better than any limitless thing that the world ever promises….

 

 

no limits to the wholeness
no limits to the healing
no limits to the grace
no limits to the love
no limits to the power of restoration

 

NO LIMITS TO WHAT GOD CAN AND WILL DO.

No Limits….. I feel a prayer coming on….

Nothing should keep me from trusting you, Lord, but they have
Oh the depths of my doubt, the power of my fear, the burden of my hopelessness

Love, your love, lifts me to renewed faith
Indications of your limitless mercy surround me
Majestic is your name
Inspiration comes with the full measure of your Spirit
Trials are revealed in the new light of your grace
Spirit of God, Spirit of Holiness, Servant of God, Son of Redemption, Source of all goodness….I thank you that you are the creator of my days and the bringer of all hope.  Amen.

 

But I don’t want to do that!

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Action, Christianity, faith, God, Jesus, prayer, Religion, spirituality, Trust

 

This past week I did something that I don’t like to do.  In fact I will usually go out of my way to avoid doing it….but it became necessary, and so I did it.

Wow, the results and spin-off are surprising.  I see the effects of it around me.  God has used those actions and then added the actions of a courageous person and things are looking pretty good…..

I am now of course tempted to think about doing something I don’t like in terms to my own future…. You know, if the formula works in situation A, it will work in situation B….. as if we can con and manipulate God.  

As much as I’d like to do that, this amazing glimpse of God’s faithfulness is a reassurance that he is indeed keeping his eye on me, just like he keeps his eye on the sparrow, and that is good enough for me.

 

God Alone Knows…

Tags

faith, God, prayer, Trust

When I was a student at UVic, Fr.Leo, one of the ministers in the chaplain’s office had the following answering machine message….. God alone knows where Leo is.  Please leave a message. I always wished I had the courage to leave that message on my machine over the years and now I am beginning to rethink the whole God alone knows scenario, for a whole other reason.

I have realized that my growing anxiety about the future… no new job in the offing, finances that are barely manageable, likely homelessness …… are not only a source of anxiety for me, but also a source of anxiety for the people around me, which in turn raises my anxiety.

I have also ALLOWED that anxiety to interfere with my relationship with God.  Less time in prayer. Less time in God’s word…. and the result…. you guessed it…. Growing anxiety.

Yesterday I had a long conversation with my mother, and the only answer I had to every question she had, was “I don’t know”…. Her distress for my situation was discernible, even on the phone.  And the only answer I had was one of defeat.

The result…. my anxiety grew.  

There is no room for anxiety and faith to co-exist in my life.  Probably not in anyone’s life.

So, today I had to go to the city for errands and I stopped by the city park.  As I sat by the water, now mercifully clear of ice…. I prayed, not well, as I was too distracted by anxiety, but prayed with more faith and trust than I have in a long time, and I felt a growing tug of faith.

By the time I had finished my errands and was driving back home, I felt a growing sense of calm.

And it was in that calm that I realized that I have a choice on how to answer people’s questions.  I can be defeated and say, “I don’t know”…. or I can step out in faith and say, “only God knows”.  Neither answer changes my circumstances, but oh how the choice changes me.

 

Be it resolved:  That in regard to my future–GOD ALONE KNOWS.