Day 23: Wander, Wonder
When I first read this title I read it as "Wander Wonder." I thought is was about the wonder found in aimlessly wandering around the neighborhood contemplating everything and maybe nothing all at the same time. The wonder that comes as you realize you are somewhere else, but maybe don't remember the journey there.
But it really says, "Wander, Wonder." Two separate thoughts. First you wander. Then you wonder. Like maybe you come to a spot on your journey before it ends where you stop and wonder. Where you wonder about the possibilities to come. Where you wonder about things that could have gone differently and what effect that would have made on your journey. And then you wander some more. Always stopping to wonder about the beauty around you. Wondering how those little things can take your breath away--the hoar frost clinging to barbed wire, a freshly fallen blanket of snow, a kitten's purr. Wondering how all of these things can be beautiful in a world filled with so much that is ugly. Wandering some more before coming to a spot that leads you to wonder about the Maker of that beauty. Wondering how He could have known all this would happen and still want to be with us enough to go ahead with His plan. Wondering at the way He chose to have His son, the Redeemer of the world, be born in a stable. The way He was willing to sacrifice His son to pay for the ugly filth that fills our lives. The way He makes everything beautiful.
I wonder as I wander.
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Friday, December 23, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Christmas Countdown: Give Unto Others
Day 9: Give Unto Others
This one is especially important to me as I reflect on the meaning behind the silvery tinsel, twinkly lights, and promising presents. All my favorite parts of Christmas, all my favorite parts of the season really, are because of a very special gift. This gift was given to me, not because I deserved it, or because that's what you do this time of year, no, this gift was given because it needed to be given. This is a gift that came in the most precious of packages, but in the most unexpected way I could ever imagine. In my lifetime, there is no way I'll ever be able to give a gift like the one I received, and I couldn't even begin to reciprocate a gift of this magnitude. What I can do is share it.
I wasn't actually there when this gift was given to me, but that doesn't lessen the value it holds in my life. It was still for me. It came when a very special young lady was chosen for her willingness to serve God. Regardless of the way it would ruin her reputation, her relationships, everything she had ever known, she chose to give herself and her future to God. I cannot imagine having to tell my fiance, my family, his family, my friends, everyone, that I was pregnant. It wasn't like today. It's not like she could just take care of "the problem."
The next part of the gift came when a man, who didn't really understand what was happening chose to believe what he had been told and marry his fiance regardless of that fact that she was pregnant and the baby wasn't his.
Then at an extremely, largely uncomfortable stage of the pregnancy this couple had to walk to their king ordained vacation destination. It was his hometown, but she had never been there before. She wasn't sure what to expect from this place where her baby would more than likely be born. And she was VERY pregnant. After the long and tiring journey they took to give me my gift, there was no where for them to stay. Hotel reservations weren't just a mouse click away with name-your-own-price options. There simply wasn't a room anywhere in town. But one of the hotel owners took pity on this young mother waddling from door-to-door and offered them both room in his barn. (This may sound weird to people living in the city, but I have hidden gifts in the greenhouse, shop, barn, tack room--some things just don't fit under my bed.) I'd like to believe he even threw down some clean straw for them. I would if I had to put someone up in my barn, I mean, I do it when the animals are going to have their babies, I'd definitely do it for people. Then I'm sure he apologized once again and left the couple to settle in.
It was while they were staying in the barn, waiting their turn to check in for the census that my gift came. They wrapped him in some cloths, pushed the animals away from the feed trough and pulled it over by them, fluffed some of that clean straw into it, and laid him down while his mom rested and his step-dad cleaned everything up.
He had some visitors, but only those who knew where to look for such a special gift. It's like the gifts that I hide in those places around the farm--no one looks for them until I tell them where to look, because they aren't expecting a present to be there. So, I'm telling you where to look. I've enjoyed my gift for most of my life, but not everyone knows that they can look in a barn for their gift too. Take the time to look. My gift didn't end there. That baby that was born for me, grew up, and then he died for me too. Look for your gift. Look in the stable. And then look on the cross. He's not there anymore, but his gift still is. Look for what he gave you.
This one is especially important to me as I reflect on the meaning behind the silvery tinsel, twinkly lights, and promising presents. All my favorite parts of Christmas, all my favorite parts of the season really, are because of a very special gift. This gift was given to me, not because I deserved it, or because that's what you do this time of year, no, this gift was given because it needed to be given. This is a gift that came in the most precious of packages, but in the most unexpected way I could ever imagine. In my lifetime, there is no way I'll ever be able to give a gift like the one I received, and I couldn't even begin to reciprocate a gift of this magnitude. What I can do is share it.
I wasn't actually there when this gift was given to me, but that doesn't lessen the value it holds in my life. It was still for me. It came when a very special young lady was chosen for her willingness to serve God. Regardless of the way it would ruin her reputation, her relationships, everything she had ever known, she chose to give herself and her future to God. I cannot imagine having to tell my fiance, my family, his family, my friends, everyone, that I was pregnant. It wasn't like today. It's not like she could just take care of "the problem."
The next part of the gift came when a man, who didn't really understand what was happening chose to believe what he had been told and marry his fiance regardless of that fact that she was pregnant and the baby wasn't his.
Then at an extremely, largely uncomfortable stage of the pregnancy this couple had to walk to their king ordained vacation destination. It was his hometown, but she had never been there before. She wasn't sure what to expect from this place where her baby would more than likely be born. And she was VERY pregnant. After the long and tiring journey they took to give me my gift, there was no where for them to stay. Hotel reservations weren't just a mouse click away with name-your-own-price options. There simply wasn't a room anywhere in town. But one of the hotel owners took pity on this young mother waddling from door-to-door and offered them both room in his barn. (This may sound weird to people living in the city, but I have hidden gifts in the greenhouse, shop, barn, tack room--some things just don't fit under my bed.) I'd like to believe he even threw down some clean straw for them. I would if I had to put someone up in my barn, I mean, I do it when the animals are going to have their babies, I'd definitely do it for people. Then I'm sure he apologized once again and left the couple to settle in.
It was while they were staying in the barn, waiting their turn to check in for the census that my gift came. They wrapped him in some cloths, pushed the animals away from the feed trough and pulled it over by them, fluffed some of that clean straw into it, and laid him down while his mom rested and his step-dad cleaned everything up.
He had some visitors, but only those who knew where to look for such a special gift. It's like the gifts that I hide in those places around the farm--no one looks for them until I tell them where to look, because they aren't expecting a present to be there. So, I'm telling you where to look. I've enjoyed my gift for most of my life, but not everyone knows that they can look in a barn for their gift too. Take the time to look. My gift didn't end there. That baby that was born for me, grew up, and then he died for me too. Look for your gift. Look in the stable. And then look on the cross. He's not there anymore, but his gift still is. Look for what he gave you.
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
John 10:10 (NKJV)
Sunday, October 30, 2011
My Image
For man created
god
in his own image
statue and philosophy
he created them.
Man said to it,
“Now you will bless me
I will give you offerings of food.
I will follow all your rules.
Anything that happens in life
whether good or bad
I will blame on you—
say that you willed it
Any ideas I have that
don’t agree
with those of the people around me
I will justify
using the name of my god.
If there is something that happens in the world
I will explain it away
based on my god.
When I don’t like something,
when I don’t agree with something,
I will revise
my god.
My god will change
to suit my needs.
My god will become
whatever I believe.
My god is
me.
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them.”
Genesis 1:27
“I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:1-2
“He makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, ‘Save me, you are my god.’ They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.”
Isaiah 44:17-18
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
Friday, October 7, 2011
More than a Noun
I didn't know the "More Than" blogs were going to become a series when I wrote "Preschool Teacher." But they have developed into them as I think about the topics more and more.
I am more than a noun as defined by the relationships around me here on Earth. I am a spiritual being. It is actually the living God who has defined me. He has given me life. He has given me purpose. He has established the number of my days here. And he has given me the opportunity to spend an eternity with him in heaven after those days have run out. I can choose the way that I live here. I can choose whether to use my verbs to develop a relationship with Christ more fully or whether to forget about Him altogether. I can choose to let verbs and nouns get in the way of who I am really created to be and what I am really created to do. And to be honest, there are many times when I do just that. When I get so caught up doing the verbs or so involved with my relationship with the nouns that I forget about the One.
The One who enables me to do and who has placed me in relationship. I forget that my relationship with Him has to come first, or the doing and relating doesn't work. God has got the "being" thing down. He is the one who first declared, "I Am." Whatever I need done, whatever I need emotionally, whatever I need...He already is, just by being. However, a verb or noun aren't my favorite ways to describe God...I'd much prefer to use adjectives!
I am more than a noun as defined by the relationships around me here on Earth. I am a spiritual being. It is actually the living God who has defined me. He has given me life. He has given me purpose. He has established the number of my days here. And he has given me the opportunity to spend an eternity with him in heaven after those days have run out. I can choose the way that I live here. I can choose whether to use my verbs to develop a relationship with Christ more fully or whether to forget about Him altogether. I can choose to let verbs and nouns get in the way of who I am really created to be and what I am really created to do. And to be honest, there are many times when I do just that. When I get so caught up doing the verbs or so involved with my relationship with the nouns that I forget about the One.
The One who enables me to do and who has placed me in relationship. I forget that my relationship with Him has to come first, or the doing and relating doesn't work. God has got the "being" thing down. He is the one who first declared, "I Am." Whatever I need done, whatever I need emotionally, whatever I need...He already is, just by being. However, a verb or noun aren't my favorite ways to describe God...I'd much prefer to use adjectives!
Awesome
Incredible
Wonderful
Peaceful
Faithful
Wise
Good
Generous
Forgetful
Unchangeable
Just
Merciful
Beautiful
Just to name a few.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
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