Panic or Praise... A Lesson for When Jesus Sleeps

The waves are crashing
The wind is blowing
Water is quickly filling the ship

and I can't help but wonder how much more of this storm is left

I quietly whisper...

What are you trying to teach me?

patience?
perseverance?
preservation?

I pick up a bucket and begin trying to scoop out
the water that is gathering around my feet...

It's not working

I look around to see if there are any other options...
I don't see any

I look to Him, and I know for sure that He can handle this,
but there is a lesson here, and I don't want to wake Him until I get it

Until I understand (I'm trying to understand)

Why He would bring me out this far, and then fall asleep?

I read about how this happened once before

He slept
Relaxed
Rested peacefully

with His head on a pillow, during the storm

While those with Him

worried
woke Him
were reprimanded

(but I'm trying to understand)

What else did He expect them to do?

There's a lesson here and I don't want to miss it
(I don't want to drown either)

but I have to believe that

we're in this ship together
in a storm
for a reason,
right?

I mean...

Why He would bring me out this far, and then fall asleep?

and now I remember...

When I was a child sometimes my dad worked nights, and would make it home early morning and say  "I'm going to rest my eyes.  Wake me up when it's time for me to take you to school."  But he was always so tired that when it was time for me to wake him, I would have to practically scream to get his attention.  I always felt so bad for disturbing him, even though I knew he was my only way to school.

Until one day I learned to sing

and found that a happy sound
is better than a scream

So I started to sing...

from the next room,
and still singing,

moved into the hallway
and still singing,

moved closer toward the door to his room
and still singing,

finally stepped into my parent's room

allowing him to wake to the increase of my song

There's a lesson here and I don't want to miss it because

We're out here pretty far, and it appears that He has fallen asleep

And so I'll sing...

while continuing to draw closer to Him

resisting the urge

to scream
to shake
to wake

Him in a panic with my frantic requests for help

because I know that He won't let me drown

AND...

I have the advantage of having read their experience too

and now I know that
when Jesus sleeps...

He's not only sleeping

He's also

working
waiting
watching

to see if I will panic... or praise

Mark 4:37-41

Click to read...A Lesson in Thanksgiving

Between Jesus and Judas

It is the safest seat in the house...and the scariest

the seat between Jesus and Judas

the enemy who became a friend on one side
the friend who became an enemy on the other

It's very awkwardly comforting

But we find ourselves in this situation many times in life
and we've learned that if you want to sit and dine with the Master,
it means that you may very well have to sit next to a Judas

But Jesus is sitting right there too

"Please pass the bread" you ask Jesus, but instead Judas picks it up and hands it to you

and when you take hold of the basket

you look at Judas
you look at the bread
you look to Jesus questioningly

and He smiles and nods reassuringly

You smile back, grab a roll, and eat with confidence
knowing that if Jesus has

blessed it
broken it
given it

you can sit back and enjoy every bite...

even if it was handed to you by your enemy

Psalm 23:5

Snippets... "Victory Shall Be Mine"

I was driving through town singing

a new twist

to an old favorite

and it carried me all through that week

If I hold my peace, let the Lord fight my battles

Victory, victory shall be mine

Monday...

I recorded it on my phone to share with friends

(but had technical difficulties)

Wednesday...

I re-recorded it on my camera to share with family

(when we suddenly lost a loved one)

and everything was put on hold as we took time to

grieve and

celebrate

life

lived and

loved

as the song continued to carry me...

If I hold my peace, let the Lord fight my battles

Victory, victory shall be mine

Then I read Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush

God spoke

Moses questioned

God clarified

Moses doubted

God reassured

Moses worried

until finally

God asked

"What is that in your hand?  Use that."

and Moses began to sing...

If I hold my piece, let the Lord fight my battles

Victory, victory shall be mine

(and in that moment) 

I realized there are times to...

"hold your peace"

and other times to...

"hold your piece"

as Moses demonstrated by using

that same rod many times

to

perform miracles

bring victory

glorify God

and just when he thought his enemy had him cornered 

he cried out to God again and God's response is classic

Why are you crying to me?

I told you to use what you have in your hand!

Because in life we face many enemies, 

and must constantly learn and relearn

how to use what God has given us to conquer them...

Thoughts of doubt and insecurity?

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart... Proverbs 3:5

Thoughts of anxiety and uncertainty?

Cast all of your cares on Him... 1 Peter 5:7 

Thoughts of fear and depression?

God has not given us the spirit of fear... 2 Timothy 1:7 

So, pick up

your weapon

His Word

for your warfare

and learn how to

hold your peace /"hold your piece"

all the way to victory!

--------------------------------------

"Victory Shall Be Mine"



These Hands

These hands belong to a girl

who likes to paint her fingernails...

one day while watching me clean
she asked,

"What are you about
to do now mommy?"

my inner Martha answering

(without even turning to look)

finish dinner, wash the dishes, and 

fold the laundry that's on the bed

moments later she returned and said,

"All finished, come see"

so, I followed her 

to find...

small piles of

freshly

laundered

clothes

(neatly folded neatly on the bed)

She said...

"I folded the towels too, and put them away. 

Now after dinner, you can sit down with me."

and I marvel at how this nine-year old child

is already learning to balance her inner Mary/Martha

because...

These hands belong to a girl

who likes to paint fingernails

(and help fold laundry)

So, my prayer is that

God continuously

blesses...

anoints...

(and always)

holds...

these hands

Leave Your Mark

He appeared small and insignificant
and we would have missed him altogether had he not left a mark;

a mark signifying the impression of his presence

It was early morning, and perhaps

no one had noticed
no one could see
no one even cared

But his mark was undeniable...

and even though we almost missed Him

He left a mark

an undeniable impression on our souls
(signifying His ever-presence)

His mark is undeniable
and reminded us as we left our house that morning (and saw this mark)

that no matter

how big
how small
how insignificant

we may appear to be

to this world...
in this world...

we should always... always... always remember to leave a mark

A Lesson from Above... Bring Your Nest to the Light

I almost didn't see it...

 

I had just parked my car, and was heading 

out of the parking garage when I looked up

and noticed

She brought her nest to the lamp so the 

light could provide what she could not

heat

nurture

protection

because when you want 

your unhatched egg to

develop

grow

mature

the right thing

the smart thing

the best thing

to do

is to bring your nest to the light

John 8:12

A Mary... or a Martha

Martha was busy... 

serving

cleaning

taking care of business

while her sister Mary sat

listening

learning

resting

at the feet of Jesus

It appeared that Mary was

leaving Martha to do all of the work

(but Jesus saw it differently)

And I did too...

looking through recent vacation photographs

My inner Mary/Martha showing up

right there in Palm Beach, Florida

as I paused to collect photographs of the ocean

and as sights of

the sand and the sea

were captured...

I missed being in that moment with

the child in the shadows watching me

(who I didn't even notice until today)

and now...

I realize that being

"a Mary or a Martha" 

is not just 

an attitude

a position

a state of mind,

it's a daily choice

So each day I have to remind myself

that someone is watching me become...

a Mary or a Martha