One Day Beauties
I went out to get my coffee, sleepy-eyed. I fed the kitties and got ready to read my devotionals – but first had to open all of our curtains and drapes. Gotta let that light in. All part of my regular morning routine…just like every other morning…until I looked through the open living room drapes and my breath was taken away!! The Dragon Fruit plant draping over our wall from the neighbor’s yard had burst into bloom! Five bright creamy-white flowers, each more than a foot in diameter, hung there…wide open…mimicking the morning sun…shimmering on the cactus-like vine.
Absolutely breath taking!
I ran to get Keith so he could see this spectacular sight. Knowing these flowers only last a day and afraid they might close at any moment, we both knew there was little time to waste. Keith arrived in time and was also entranced by the stunning display – both of us so grateful for the blessing of these brief moments of beauty.
And sure enough, in an hour or two the flowers had all closed and the plant prepared to set its fruit. Now we could hardly wait the 30 – 50 days until the fruit would be ripe and ready to harvest.
One Day…what if I had missed these beautiful blooms?
One Day…what else might I have missed in such a short expanse of time?
One Day…how easy to get caught up in chores…tasks…the tyranny of the urgent…missing out on garden blessings…or time spent with dear friends…or conversations about things that really matter. Surely they will understand my limited energy and need to get other things in order…
One Day…was all the time to be had and soon that opportunity was gone.
Oh, these twinges of regret… because just 10 days after these “One Day Beauties” had bloomed, my dear friend, Margaret passed from this earth to the presence of our Lord. I had meant to call her…to drop her a note of encouragement…to remind her that Keith and I loved her and her husband, Jim, dearly…but…I needed to get “this” done today – I’ll do it tomorrow…but now she is gone and the opportunity is lost.
Lord Jesus, please help me to look for these beautiful moments…opportunities that like Dragon Fruit flowers will only be here today, just this One Day. And help me jump with joy as I seize these moments for Your purposes. I know you’ll help me get the rest done…when these moments are so much more important. Amen.
Raccoons Under the House!
We’d been hearing critter noises for a few days. Daisy and I heard sounds on our roof; Keith didn’t and thought we were crazy, when he found nothing after investigating. A few nights before that, Keith had woken up around 4am and went outside (setting off our burglar alarm, I might add) and found what he thought was a group of cats in the front flowerbed. Turned out to be raccoons around a skunk! Crazy!
So last Sunday he heard loud noises in our powder room, sounding, again, like it was coming from the roof. He climbed up the ladder (alone, in early morning light) and found nothing. A little later he heard more noises and crawled under the house to see if there was a plumbing issue…
And that’s when he found 2 raccoons nestling in for the night – or rather the days – sleep. These guys are nocturnal, but there was no mistaking their bandit masks and the rings on their bushy tails. And that’s NOT what he wanted to see!
Keith worked hard all that day to cut off access to any other areas under the house where the raccoons might wander, making sure they had only one way to exit the crawl space. After doing all he could without endangering himself, we waited for the sun to set. That would be when these intruders should head out in search of food.
And so we waited…and waited…and waited.
We both heard them stirring around 6pm and thought the time had come…but they were just getting more comfortable for a few more hours of rest.
Finally, around 8:45pm Colleen texted “The raccoons are out!” She’d just seen the 2 of them back by the cottage, scaring her half out of her wits! What great news! (Not that she’d been scared, of course!)
Keith immediately jumped up, ran outside and closed up the place where they’d exited from under our house, so they would never be able to return again! Victory achieved! And thankfully, no one was harmed in the process!
Now, true to form, I began to ponder and pray about what lessons the Lord might have for me in this experience…what those raccoons might represent…
And, true to form, the Lord answered and I heard His voice: Fear.
No, really, Lord?
When He stated it again I had to look deeper. And when I did, I had to admit what I saw…without my realizing it, fear had crawled in and taken up residence in a corner of my heart and mind…
Now, fear is a normal, healthy response. It means we’re afraid of someone or something as likely to be dangerous, painful or threatening. God gave us the emotion of fear as a means of protection. But fear can become unhealthy when it takes up residence and becomes an irrational driving force behind our decisions and actions.
In my first marriage I had lived so long in a state of fear – of verbal abuse telling me I was wrong…bad…the cause of my ex’s affairs. I was always on edge…waiting for the other shoe to drop…trying desperately to do everything perfectly so the abuse would stop. Fear was my “normal” response… and fear became normal to me.
Even though God allowed me to break free from that relationship, fear has remained an undercurrent in my life…a stronghold of the enemy…like raccoons that settled in under the foundation on which I stand.
So I began to think about things of which I’ve continued to be fearful:
People…Rejection…Failure…Future…Change…Pain/discomfort…Loss…Loneliness…Being taken advantage of…Not being valued…Consequences…Choices…Making mistakes…Success…Difficulties…Threats (Acts 4:29-30)…For my safety…For my family
When Keith and I started dating and MS hit, fear reared its ugly head more forcefully – saber rattling – like raccoons rattling our pipes and plumbing. What would my life be like…what would the future hold…if I could not trust my ex, how would I ever be able to trust Keith? It took 3 years of faithful, trust-instilling time together, seeking the Lord’s will the whole time, for fear to subside and for me to step out in faith and commitment to this wonderful, servant-hearted man of God.
Keith and my relationship has not brought any fear – except for the time he fell off the ladder and I thought I had lost him. I feared that the Lord was taking him from me…when He was really trying to train me to keep my love for Him (the Lord), first and foremost. I soon realized that I needed to surrender Keith to the Lord’s care and not fear. No matter the outcome I would be safe, for the Lord is my good, loving, compassionate Father.
Lesson learned – but the hole under the house remained, allowing raccoons…fear…to return and find the place all tidied up and waiting for it to take up residence again…
Due to the events of these past couple of years…and the Lord’s prompting…I’ve finally recognized that. I’ve allowed a spirit of irrational, unhealthy fear to return over and over…to color my outlook…sometimes even to dictate my choices when God has asked me to do something. It’s time for that to end.
Sarah Young states in her devotional “Jesus Calling” on August 10: “As your thoughts center more and more on Me (Jesus), trust displaces fear and worry. Your mind is somewhat like a seesaw. As your trust in Me goes up, fear and worry automatically go down.”
Kay Arthur states on August 10 of her devotional, “How Can I Live”: “If we could only see that God does not design our ruin but rather our refinement, we could fall back on (these) great promises (Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11), which would become a bed of comfort.”
Oh how these words resonate in my heart! Truly, our gracious, loving God DOES NOT design our ruin, but rather our refinement…
So today I’m repenting and renouncing the place…the stronghold…that fear has built up in my mind…my heart. Unhealthy fear is a pretender…a poser…a manipulating lie from the enemy, asking, “Will God really protect you? Look at what He’s let you endure already. He doesn’t really want to bless you. You really can’t handle this.”
But what is the truth? Jesus says in John 8: 31 – 32, “If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (Emphasis mine)
God tells us in 2 Corinthian 10: 3 – 5, “For though we live in the world we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (Emphasis mine)
In “How Can I Live” a devotional journey with Kay Arthur, August 8, she gives clear instruction on the truth of God’s word and how to take a stand against unhealthy fear. This may be long but is well worth the read:
“God’s word states over and over that God is the answer for fear. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?” (Psalm 27:1)
“The first step to conquering fear is to recognize from where it comes. Second Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” When fear strikes you and you find yourself lacking in power, failing in love, and thinking irrationally, you can be sure the fear is not from God.
“The second step in dealing with fear is to rid your life of it. As a conscious act of your will, you can deal with that fear. 1 John 4:18 states, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.” …When faced with fear, there must be a conscious turning from the irrational to the rational. You must say, ‘I know and believe that God loves me and that He is sovereign. Nothing can happen without His permission. This fear is not from God who abides in me. I will not be overwhelmed by paralyzing thoughts. I will put my trust in God.’
“The consequences of this choice is the “casting out”, the hurling away of the dread, of the torment of fear. This is the sound mind, a mind under control that God promises us…Then, with your mind under control, you will be able to act, to react, to move in power, in love, in every fear-producing situation.”
So, let me ask you, what do the raccoons represent to you? Are you experiencing fear today in irrational, unhealthy ways? Will you join me in refusing to surrender again to a spirit of fear, but to stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord? It’s a whole lot easier to get rid of the raccoons when they’ve just arrived than after they’ve settled in.
Jesus, I take You at Your word – in You I am set free from unreasonable, unhealthy fear. Tear down this stronghold, Lord, and close up the holes with the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit, so fear does not return to run my life. Help those joining me in this battle to also stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord. Amen
Numbers 6: 24 – 26 (The Living Bible), “May the Lord bless you and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.”
Back Out In the Garden
I’m so grateful to be able to get back outside into the garden again following my recent MS flare and the tropical heat wave. But, I tell you, when your body isn’t used to all the bending, weed pulling, dead heading and veggie harvesting, it doesn’t matter how much stretching I do, I wake up the next day stiff and sore…especially in my neck muscles.
(L-R) Brussels Sprouts, yellow squash, tomatoes, lemongrass
Do you know that our heads weigh 10 – 11 pounds? So, constantly looking down and bending over while trying to keep our heads straight puts a whole lot of strain on our little necks! Seems like I always forget that I can crouch down or get on my knees and face my plants head on…until I’m already hurting. But I wouldn’t hurt quite as much if I’d just remember to do that!
So, as I was in the veggie garden this morning harvesting tomatoes, sweet potatoes and squash, as well as cleaning up the messy beds, I remembered to crouch or kneel whenever possible. And as I kept my eyes and head in an upward posture, it made me think how much Jesus wants us to face life with Him the same way…on our knees before Him, looking up…focusing our eyes on Him. That very posture allows Him to work out His plans and purposes so much more easily, or so it seems to me. For focusing on anything but Him, whether work…family concerns…or even just daily responsibilities…can cause me to forget He’s even with me. And that can really hurt.
I’m not the only one to learn a lesson like this. Even the Apostle Peter walking on the stormy water towards Jesus, took his eyes off of the One who had bid him to come…and he began sinking in the waves. But when his eyes were on Jesus he could walk on water! Read the story for yourself in Matthew 14: 22 – 33.
So, for today, I will take the encouragement of Psalm 121 to heart, remembering these precious promises:
“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel (and Debra and you) will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.”
I guess these sore neck muscles are a blessing because they’re helping me stay focused on Jesus. Oh, it IS a joy it to be back out in the garden!
Jesus, You may not be asking me to walk on water, but whatever Your plans are for me today, will You help me remember these sore neck muscles and keep my eyes focused on You? Thank You! Amen.