Heart Test...

Where's the stroller?!  Arrgh.  I totally left it in the garage at home!  Why didnt I realize sooner?  Now I have to turn around and go back to get it.

After a fairly smooth morning, lazily getting ready for a walk date with friends, I suddenly realized we were definitely going to be late now.  You would think with a relaxed morning that I wouldn't be so eager to get into a tizzy about being late, but then...  I wasn't thinking on the thankful side of things.  I was feeling entitled to my wealth of freedom that I had experienced during the first half of my morning.  So, with that mindset- or should I say, heart set- my emotions were feeling quite justified in being annoyed.  All the while my little toddler was chillin' out in his car seat to some music- not caring at all that we were going to be late (what was wrong with me?!).

As I pulled up in my driveway and went to open the back of the car, of course in my selfish rush, I had forgotten to actually unlock the back.  So I stomped over to the front car door again and pressed unlock and then stomped back- huffing, puffing, and muttering.  I had to unload a bunch of stuff from the back and pile it into our already cluttered garage...  something I was also not very happy about... when suddenly, my neighbor next door pops up right next to me as I wheel my stroller down the driveway to put it in the back.  "Can I help?" he asked.  He definitely surprised me as I stopped and looked at him for a moment.  Then I smiled and felt a little ashamed inside...  Here I was complaining and feeling alone, when hello, from out of nowhere this nice man just wanted to help...  "Why- yes please!" I replied, finding my voice again.  "Thank you!" I exclaimed as he loaded up my stroller into the car.  I suddenly wondered why I was in SUCH a rush, it seemed so silly now.  And he replied back kindly, "what are friends for?"  As if to just say don't mention it...  He was just happy to help.  

Oh what a treasure of unexpected love I would have missed if I didn't have to go back for my stroller.  And I can't help but mention that this neighbor is an older man with a mental handicap, which is funny to say since it seems that my mental state was much more handicapped than his.  He was ready to help before I knew he was even there.  It's crazy too, because he doesn't usually talk very much at all, or if he does it can be hard to understand, but his words came out clear and kind this morning!  Truly Jesus' love was shining through his sweet face and I was blessed.

In the end, as I drove away, feeling suddenly overwhelmed and thankful- I couldn't help but reflect that God tests our hearts with the simplest of things sometimes.  My prayer is that I won't miss His love, His people, His joy, or His face!  Thankful for the way God shows His love for us through other people.  And, I am hoping that I won't miss my opportunity to pass His love on to others today too ;)

³ "The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts." - Proverbs 17:3

"Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!" - Psalm 119:36

Light, Beauty, Salvation, and Strength...

All of these wonderful things come into our lives when we wait on The Lord, for once we hope in Him alone we are able to find His light, His beauty, His salvation, and His strength.  There is no One more worthy of our attention and praise!  Unlike any other words, His Words bring life; so if you are feeling empty, seek His face!  Truly, we all miss out on Reality when we separate our lives from Scripture- real Life is found when we take time to soak in His Truth.  Psalm 27 inspires my thoughts this morning, "The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple" (Psalm 27:1 & 4).

Yesterday my husband and I were caring for the little children in our church and, as young as they may be, it is amazing to see the amount of information they can already process and understand!  During our snack time, I attempted to tell a very short story from Genesis: how God created Light!  We played with flashlights in a dark tunnel and sang "this little light of mine" as we held our own flashlights up and out, waving them around as we sang.  The children brought smiles to my heart as I watched them just soak up all of this new knowledge and I can't help but thankfully identify the incredible gift of learning that God has given children.

Oh that we might all stand beside The Lord, to listen, watch, and learn from Him today!  Even if it feels like the Words God speaks to you are not seeping in, continue to expose yourself.  He is calling us to Himself and as we fill our lives with His precious Words then we build up an appetite and thirst for Him that can only be quenched by Him!  His Truth never returns void and it is only by hearing His Words that we are able to believe His voice.

Children have much to teach us about being sponges towards who God is and all God has to say.  They are eager to speak the name of Jesus (once they have heard His name) and to celebrate their Creator in song (once they have been told that God created them and loves them)!  Little people have amazing faith, they are willing to believe what their parents say to them- so tell them the Truth.  Before anyone can do that though, we must know the Truth!  

As I conclude, I pray that you may see the importance of hoping and waiting in The Lord!  May we come to Jesus as a young child, eager to learn from Him and to soak up His light, His beauty, His salvation, and His strength.  Just as a child busily engages in their world while feeling safe within the presence of a loved one, may we also face this day in the knowledge that we are in Gods holy presence and wrapped up in His un-changing, amazing, unfailing love!

¹³ "I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" - (Psalm 27:13-14).

Musings on Boldness and Humility...

Boldness and Humility sometimes seem to be at odds with each other, especially so in our society, and yet Jesus modeled a balance of these two attributes amazingly!  I think specifically of a Proverb and some verses in the New Testament that speak of Jesus' humility which both balance out the importance of boldness and being humble in the lives of those who follow the Lord.  "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion." (Proverbs 28:1 ESV) and "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

And I can't stop there when it continues to talk about Jesus being glorified by God in His humility:

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)

Just reading that makes me want to read through all of Philippians again!  I couldn't just post one verse because everything in this section makes so much more sense and has so much more power when it's kept all together.  If only I knew how to speak these truths more boldly myself- to proclaim Gods glory more openly in my day to day conversations.  

What a blessing Gods Word is though!  To be reminded that every knee will bow before Him, that His glory will be acknowledged by everyone one day even if I am forgetful some days...  He is still honored above any name!  It fills all the voids in my heart and mind, giving me hope for the moment and hope for the day...  My little guy is sleeping right now, and although it is always nice to nap these days, the Bible fills me with such peace and rest that as lovely as sleep is it cannot even compare!  Such knowledge of Gods goodness comforts me and gets me all excited to live each moment in His loving hands :)

Oh the precious gift of quiet meditation.  Even though this gift feels scarce in my life these days, I can't help to rejoice when I find that my rare quiet moments are exploding with Gods overwhelming love.  May I never forget to look to Jesus!

"You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word."  (Psalm 119:114 ESV)

As I continue to think on these topics of humility and boldness, I can't help but think of Daniel.  How he was a man who trusted God so deeply that he did not give up openly praying by his window, even when prayer to God was outlawed.  The picture I see of him in my mind is such a beautiful one of both boldness and humility- as he kneels humbly before God and boldly prays, even though the King had ordered that no one pray to anyone except himself... and the consequence of disobeying was no laughing matter: death by lions!  Even I would have at least closed my window to pray, so no one could see... But Daniel knew that God was God, and no King on earth could take away the glory that only God Himself deserves.  Oh to fully understand and learn to live out the blessed balance of bold humility in Jesus' name!

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight." (Proverbs 11:1 ESV)

"A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work." (Proverbs 16:11 ESV)

"For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.

He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord."  (Psalm 112:6, 7 ESV)

Don't those verses capture Daniel and his memory well- he truly lived his life by Gods righteousness!  Oh that we could all come to a place where we are not afraid of bad news.  Truly, isn't God always worth trusting?  He has proved Himself true and righteous more times then the Bible itself can mention!

There are so many examples in scripture of people who have personally experienced Gods faithfulness and righteousness.  In the lives of David, Sarah, Hannah, Job, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Mary and Joseph...  Even though there were times of doubt and struggle in their lives, as they continued to turn to God in their distress- amidst bad news- He was always true to His promises!  God's righteous character is bold and humble- un-changing and amazing...  Not one of His promises have failed!

And so I end...  

"Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass."(Joshua 21:45 ESV)

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."  (Psalm 73:26 ESV)