Love One Another

 "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim in the paths of the seas." Psalm 8: 3-8

    As the embers of our campfire simmered down, my husband and I prepared to do the same, calling it a day.

    Then, in the dying light of dusk, we saw a fluttery movement near the pines that piqued our curiosity. What was that? In the beam of a flashlight, we were amazed to see three small owls, a blessed epilogue to a tiring day.

    Our daughter humorously refers to me as Snow White because we've had a menagerie of critters visit our yard: A ribbon of waddling ducks, just passing through; a fatigued family of deer napping beneath the magnolia tree; a wayward turtle trying to find his way home; a groundhog dubbed Gary who scratched at our back door; a companion squirrel named Clarence Oddtail who would lope across the yard in greeting when I came home; and finally, a few slithering snakes. Now, we have added owls to that list.

    I love most animals. They fascinate, incur laughter and foster love.

    But people? They're a different animal. Oft times, they are rather self-seeking and odious, rude and outspoken, bossy, nosy or outright mean. I join the psalmist, David, when I wonder why God cares for people, taking them by the hand (Isaiah 41:13), collecting their tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8), writing their names on the palms of his hands (Isaiah 49:16) and laying down his life for them (Matthew 20:28)!

    Then I remember that I am a part of this race of odious humans and, when I get down to brass tacks, I have been self-seeking, rude, bossy and mean. I am part of the problem!

    It's much easier to love animals, maybe it's because we have been assigned as rulers over them. The assignment God has given us, as his followers, regarding people is much tougher. We are to "love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34) Only with his divine intervention can I take someone by the hand in prayer, listen with compassion as tears roll down their cheeks, write their names on a card of encouragement or emote the sacrificial love of forgiveness and servitude. 

"Love one another as I have loved you"

May seem impossible to do.

But if you will try to trust and believe,

Great are the joys that you will receive.

For love makes us patient, understanding and kind,

As we judge with our hearts and not with our minds.

For as soon as love enters the heart's open door,

The faults we once saw are not there anymore -

And the things that seemed wrong begin to look right

When viewed in the softness of love's gentle light

For love works in ways that are wondrous and strange,

And there is nothing in life that love cannot change,

And all that God promised will someday come true

When you have loved one another the way He loved you.

-by Helen Steiner Rice 

Happy Birthday

 "For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you." Psalm 71: 5-6

    Today is my friend's birthday. We have been friends for about sixty years so I love celebrating her today. She has been such a blessing to many.

    Right after I texted a happy birthday greeting to her, I smiled as I read the above verse. Imagine God in scrubs, reassuring the laboring mother as her child is delivered into His strong and capable hands. In great joy, the Lord cleanses the wee one of blood and water before He gently hands the babe over to Mom with a broad smile. It truly is a happy birthday.

    Going through life holding the hand of the Lord is a storied and beautiful journey. Blessed is the person whose "time is in Your hands" (Psalm 31:15). Like a little child He leads us, even through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4), driving away our fears. He defends the weak and the fatherless, upholding the cause of the poor and oppressed (Psalm 82:3), silencing our foes and bullies. 

    "No one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." That is a promise from Jesus. (John 10:29)  In fact, nothing, "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 38-39) I would never want to live outside of His Presence.

    Go back to that scene in the delivery room: He, who knit me together in my mother's womb (Psalm 139:13), will be there to escort me home when my eyes shall close in death, "from life's first cry to final breath."  He will be there when the sheet is pulled over my face, preparing my body for its temporary rest. And the Holy Spirit, who used that body for His temple, will take me home to be with Him forever, to a mansion on the hilltop, in that bright land where we'll never grow old. (John 14:3)

    To get there, we need to be born again. I heard it said, "Born once, die twice; Born twice, die once." In other words, our soul needs to be reborn spiritually because we were born into sin. As Jesus told Nicodemus, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." (John 3:3) We must be children born of God. 

    That's why Jesus came to die and rise again so we may have life in His Name. It's a transfer of trust from ourselves to the One who made us, believing in Christ. "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God...for everyone born of God overcomes the world." (1 John 5: 1-4)

    Now that's a happy birthday!

"Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come." Psalm 71: 17-18 

    

One of Us, Only Better

 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4: 15-16

    Yesterday, I took our cat, Kiwi, to the vet for his annual vaccination and check-up. From the moment I put him in the carrying case, he vociferously objected to the entire outing. Pupils enlarged by fear, he was bent on forming some route of escape, becoming increasingly anxious when his plans came to naught. Though this outing was for his own good, no amount of soothing or cajoling from me, his loving keeper, could quiet him.

    When we returned home, it took him a while to calm down. As I stroked him and spoke reassurance to him, it occurred to me how this scenario represented our relationship with God. 

    God is Spirit, eternal, divine, omniscient and holy. We are dependent creatures of his, sinful and needy sheep who do not know what will happen next. Warm-blooded and finite, willful and stubborn, we often do not know what is best for us. After our Fall into sin, we were at enmity with our God, with whom Adam had once walked in easy fellowship. 

    Now what? How could this chasm between two very different entities be forged? We are as different as a cat is to a person.

    Enter Jesus, the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14). He did not come into the world to condemn us, but to save the world through Him (John 3:17). He became as one of us, yet without sin, to show us the love of the Father, and to show us the way home. He "made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:7-8)

    As I pondered this, song lyrics came to mind:

One of Us

What if God was one of us,

Just a slob like one of us,

Just a stranger on a bus

Tryin' to make his way home?

If God had a face,

What would it look like? 

And would you want to see,

If seeing meant that you would have to believe

In things like heaven and in Jesus

and the saints and all the prophets?

    The questions posed within this song have all been answered in Jesus. He had a face, was heard and seen, he hungered, thirsted and slept like any one of us. He lived, died and rose from the grave! One of us, only better! Much better.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched -this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete." 1 John 1: 1-4

Esme's New Friend

 "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them and blessed them." Mark 10: 14-16

    What a friend we have in Jesus!

    A little over one year ago, our two-year-old granddaughter, Esme, had fallen from a second floor window, landing on her back. The prayer chain sprang into action while we anxiously awaited news. 

    Though it seemed at the time Esme may have had a spinal cord injury, our Heavenly Father, rich in mercy, gave His diagnosis: a mild concussion; no fracture, no paralysis. When we saw a picture of her wearing a wee hospital gown as she walked beside the medical staff, a balloon bobbing overhead, we rejoiced in her salvation from harm. It was as if an angel had lifted her in his hands, lest she dash her foot against the stones below (Psalm 91:11-12)

    Last night, when being tucked into bed, Esme asked her mom if they could pray together because she wanted to ask Jesus to be her friend. Her mother had been telling her that Jesus would come live in her heart if she would invite him. After they prayed, Esme asked her mom to put an ear to her chest to see if she could hear Him in there. Happily, her mother complied, concluding, "Yes! And He is saying, 'I love you, Esme!'"

    This is more thrilling to me than the news of her birth because she has been born of the Spirit. I will never have to say good-bye to my granddaughter; we will live together forever in heaven with our Savior Jesus. I know my mom and dad will love to meet her there in glory! More than these, Esme will have a Friend who walks with her and talks with her, who will never leave her nor forsake her, come what may. What a Friend!

The Savior Kindly Calls

The Savior kindly calls our children to His breast;

He folds them in His gracious arms, Himself declares them blest.

"Let them approach," He cries, "Nor scorn their humble claim;

The heirs of heaven are such as these, for such as these I came.

With joy we bring them, Lord, devoting them to Thee,

Imploring that, as we are Thine, Thine may our offspring be.

    

      

My Dirty Dress

 "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me." Psalm 51:3

    Hanging in the back of my closet is a dirty dress I once wore. While searching for something to wear the other day, I saw it there, sin-stained and filthy. It even smells rotten, like a dead animal.

    Why do I keep it? It serves as a reminder of who I used to be. 

    Looking at it now, I can't believe I once wore that and thought I looked pretty good. I didn't know how ill-dressed I was until I compared myself to the holiness of Jesus.

    Because "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), even when I thought I looked my best, "all my righteous acts were like filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6) That's why the dress smells like death, because I was dead in my transgressions. But when I asked Jesus to clean me up, He took off my grave clothes and gave me His own precious robe of righteousness. And, I might add, it's a perfect fit!

    Though that is pretty amazing, there's more.

    God doesn't see that dress in my closet. In fact, he has forgotten all about it. He said, "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25) If I had any sense, I would put that dress where God keeps such things: "You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:19)

    But, like I said, I keep it as a reminder. I never want to return to that style of living. Why would I? I am clad in garments of praise, no longer in a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:3) as is fitting for the Bride of Christ. 

I'm lookin' pretty good these days.

"Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, 'Take off his filthy clothes.' Then he said to Joshua, 'See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.'" Zechariah 3: 3-4

    

Perfection in 6/16ths of an Inch

 "He has made all things beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

    In the dappled sunshine serenaded by an avian symphony, I set out on a morning walk in the neighborhood. 

    The lawns of the more affluent, whose homes preside over the harbor, were immaculately tended. Verdant ribbons of grass curled around curated gardens, weed free and pristine, while forays of flowers bobbed their heads in personal pride, enjoying their prominent residence. 

    On the opposite side of the street, as I passed a humble bungalow, I almost missed a bouquet which rivaled the splendor of Solomon. Deep in the grass near the edge of the road grew a wee trail of orange-colored blossoms, certain to be classified as a weed by those who would know. 

    Reaching down, I plucked one for closer examination. Five tangerine petals formed a Christmas star which framed the stamen and pistil that symmetrically formed a star within a star. Fascinating!

    Once home, I placed the treasure in a small saucer of water. The diameter of the blossom measured 6/16th of an inch, yet its perfect beauty bore silent testimony to the wonder of our Creator. 

    If the eternality of God is reflected in a flower smaller than a dime, how much more should we who are formed in His image? Solomon's observation in the verse above is spot on: Though God has set eternity in our hearts, do we take time to fathom all He has done? 

    It's been said, "Take time to smell the roses," but the wonder of God can also be seen in a tiny weed.

"See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." Matthew 6: 28-29 

    

The Wedding

 "You will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:11

    It was dubbed "The Wedding of the Centuries," and since I was a skillful writer, I was chosen to cover the story. It was the chance of a lifetime, a most coveted opportunity, one I was beyond excited to report.

    Taking my seat among the others of the press box, I breathed a sigh of relief for having the necessary credentials for admittance to the gala of such magnanimous opulence. This regal wedding had no precedence, for no other such occasion could begin to rival the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

    The King of kings, also known as the Great I Am and the Lion of Judah, had chosen a bride whom, we had heard, He will crown with love and compassion, replacing her raiment of ashes and despair. Every ear had heard about this, but no eye had yet seen.

    So we waited. Cameras poised. Pens in hand. Then, as the symphony of stringed instruments ebbed and flowed, the aromas of myrrh and aloes, comingled with cassia, announced His arrival. Every knee bowed as the Bridegroom, clothed in splendor and majesty, strode from His chamber, his sword girded on his side. Like the sun that rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other, nothing was deprived of His warmth.

    Jesus Christ, who had ridden forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice, had been given the place of authority at the right hand of God. The kingdom of the world had become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and with the scepter of justice, He shall reign forever and ever. His right hand achieved awesome deeds; sharp arrows had pierced the hearts of the King's enemies. The nations had fallen beneath His feet! His throne, where palaces were adorned with ivory, will last forever and ever. And now, in the fullness of time, with the last enemy having become His footstool, the King had come for his bride.

    Who was she, this most honored of all women? Who was this Princess, all glorious within her chamber, who had kept her lamp filled with oil and the wick trimmed while her Kinsman-Redeemer went to prepare a place for her? Rumor had it she had made herself ready; fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. The media leaked that she had adorned herself with her jewels and her gown was interwoven with the gold of Ophir.

    From my seat in the press box, I had been writing what I was witnessing at a frenzied pace, not wanting to miss one detail of the scene, but now this pregnant pause poised my pen above paper as we all awaited the arrival of the bride.

    Behold! What was this unexpected commotion to my left? I turned to see the steward of the King coming to me with an urgent message:

    "Listen, daughter," he began, "and pay careful attention. Forget your people and your father's house. Let the King be enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord." I could not believe my ears, but he continued. "Because you made peace with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you have gained access by faith into this grace in which you now stand. In embroidered garments, you will be led to the King, followed by your virgin companions. You will enter the palace of the King in joy and gladness!"

    Me? I am the Bride of Christ?! It seemed incredible that this lowly reporter, seated at the very end of the press box, was worthy to occupy the seat of honor at the banquet table.

    As I rose on shaky legs, I heard the steward say, "Come!" to others that had been chosen since before the creation of the world. "Come! Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." We, who believed in the death and resurrection of Jesus, were all the bride of Christ.

    As we shed our earthly tents, we donned the righteous robes of Christ for, without the proper attire, the King will tie that interloper hand and foot and throw him into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

    What a happy throng we made, this heavenly host arrayed in white. We joined the chorus of angels singing, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." As we filed into the great banquet hall, God Himself dwelt among us, making sure to wipe any tears from our eyes. Those days of mourning, crying or pain had passed away.

    An angel graciously helped me find my place at the long table, heavy laden with fresh flowers and the richest of fare. Golden plates gleamed and crystal stemware sparkled by the light of the Son. My heart skipped with joy when I espied my name card at the center of the place setting. My name! Inscribed beneath were these words:

 "I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name. You are mine."

Love, Jesus

Scriptures were drawn from: Psalm 45, Psalm 19:5, Isaiah 43:1, 54:5, 55:2, 61:10, 62:5, Matthew 22: 1-14, 25:5, John 14: 2-3, Romans 5:2, Philippians 2:10, Hebrews 10:13, Revelation 4:8, 11:15, 19:7, 21: 2-9, 22:17