A Parade of Joy

                                                            

 

The beat beat beat of the drums grows louder and louder.  Round the corner marches the drum line.  The Fourth of July parade has begun. 

 

My mind flashes back to long ago July 4th parades. Proudly wearing my Girl Scout uniform, I march down the street. Along with the Girl Scouts come the Boy Scouts, the high school band, the volunteer fire department and various other community organizations.  We march down familiar streets. Neighbors and friends decked out in red, white and blue stand on sidewalks cheering and waving flags. Such joy and excitement to begin the holiday!

 

Today’s parade, however, looks a little different.  Yes, a high school drum line leads the parade. But if you look closely, the other marchers appear to be a tad bit older. Some march proudly on their own. Some are pushed in wheelchairs.  Some ride electric scooters. Some are joined by service dogs. This parade is made up of members of a retirement community.  Along the sidewalk stand fellow residents waving and cheering. Such joy and excitement to begin the Fourth of July holiday!

 

The two parades are similar but not the same. A few more wrinkles adorn the faces in the second parade.  The steps are a little slower, but the smiles on the faces are just as radiant.  The joy is just as real.  Aren’t you glad that joy is not only for the young?  Joyful moments are gifts from God scattered throughout all seasons of life.

 

Does God want us to have joyful lives? The fact that the word Joy is mentioned 244 times in the Bible tells me the answer is yes.  

 

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Every day that we wake up is the day the Lord has made. And with each day He gives us opportunities to rejoice, opportunities to be glad.

 

Another favorite verse is Psalm 16:11 “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore”. As Christians, we have the privilege of coming into God‘s presence as we open His word and as we pray. He wants to meet us, and He wants to give us fullness of joy. He walks with us throughout the day. Ask Him to remind you of His presence. Ask Him to open your eyes to sources of joy as you walk through the day.

 

Let us rejoice and be glad on this Fourth of July.  Let us rejoice and be glad on every day the Lord has made.

 

 

A Kind, Patient Love

                                                             

The news that someone has passed always evokes a response. We pause. We stop. We become somber. Perhaps we cry or we weep if the relationship was a close one.  Often the news leaves us with a desire to be alone, to be still, to pray, to silently remember the person who has passed.

 

When Jesus heard that his cousin John the Baptist had been beheaded He may have experienced these same emotions. Matthew 14:13 says: “ When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.”

 

The verse continues: “But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him.”

 

If I had been in Jesus’ place, I would have been annoyed.  I would have tried to hide from the multitude of needy people.  If they had found me, I would have sent them away, telling them that this was not a good time.

 

The response of Jesus, however, was much different than mine. Matthew 14:14 says:

“He saw a great multitude and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed them.” 

 

The love of Christ is beyond our comprehension. At a time of personal sorrow He looked at the needy people and wasn’t annoyed with their interruption. Instead, with deep love and compassion He met their needs.

 

“Love is patient. Love is kind”(I Corinthians 13:4). The deep love of Jesus was patient with people who showed up at an inconvenient time.  In kindness He greeted them and met their needs.

 

I am thankful for a Savior whose compassion was so evident as He walked the earth. Although the miracles which He performed were done to fulfill prophecy, He did not do the miracles coldly and mechanically.  He looked into the eyes of the lepers, the blind, the deaf, the paralyzed, the demon possessed, and He was moved with compassion as He saw their pain.

 

This same Jesus is our Savior.  His Spirit abides in the hearts of believers.  His love for each of us is as deep and as genuine as the love which He had for the hurting people who showed up as He was grieving the death of John.  He invites us to come to Him with our needs.  There is never a bad time to approach His throne.  He is never busy or distracted. When we come with needs, both great and small, we are always greeted with kindness and compassion.  What amazing love!

 

Early Morning City Sounds

                                                    

 

The rumble of traffic outside the gate. A chorus of birds waking up for the day. An ambulance siren in the distance. A friendly walker wishing me a good morning. The hum of an air conditioner.  A gurgling creek. The whistle of a train. Birds calling to one another. The sound of a helicopter overhead. The rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. Sounds that greet me on my 6 a.m. walk.

 

Some sounds come and go. But the rumble of traffic never stops. And the singing of birds never stops. These are the constants in my 6 a.m. world.  I live within the city limits and the sounds of civilization are real.  I live in a gated community with trees and flowers and a creek running through it. The sounds of nature in my community are real.  Which sounds will capture my attention? I choose to tune out the traffic and listen to the birds.  

 

As my morning walk comes to an end, the introverted part of me would like to keep walking all day long.  Communing with God and enjoying nature 24/7 is an appealing thought.  But the steady rumble of traffic in the background reminds me of a world of men and women and children.  And the same God who walks with me each morning is the God who says “love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

As I leave my gated world and enter the world of people, new sounds greet my ears.  I hear gentle, encouraging, positive voices. I hear grumbling, cynical, negative voices.  And steady in the background of my heart, I hear the still small voice of my God reminding me that He is with me.  Lord, may Your love flow through me to each person I meet today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Burglar in the House?

 

                                                                                                                                    

 

                                               

 

                                                    

Intense sharp barking in the middle of the night could only mean one thing. There was a burglar in the house! And in the minds of the two little dogs the burglar was me! 

 

How was I - a mild mannered senior adult - mistaken for a burglar?  I was pet sitting for my friend’s two dogs. During the day, I had fed the dogs, taken them outside, given them treats.  At the end of the evening, I sat on the sofa peacefully watching a movie with a dog leaning on either side of me.  It was apparent that they liked and trusted their “substitute dog mom”. Then, when I got up to use the restroom in the middle of the night, they appeared to have forgotten who I was.  They were convinced that I was a stranger in the house who intended to do harm.

 

So often we are like that with God.  He gives us gifts every day.  In the good times, we sit with Him and enjoy His company.  Sometimes, in His sovereignty, He allows difficulties to enter our lives. How quick we are to doubt His goodness. How quick we are to forget all the gifts that He gave us the day before. Instead, we are convinced that He intends to harm us.  

 

Back to the dog story...Are you wondering how I convinced the dogs that I was not a burglar? I spoke the words beloved by dogs everywhere - “Do you want a treat?”  The barking stopped in an instant and two little dogs were sitting at my feet with eyes pierced on the treat container in my hand. I gave them the treats, petted them and took a little time to reacquaint them with their “substitute dog mom”. When I got up the next morning, two little dogs with wagging tails greeted me.

 

How does God respond when I question His goodness and believe that His plans for me are harmful? Often God responds with kindness.  Romans 2:4 says “It’s His kindness that leads us to repentance”.  He continues to give us good gifts. A beautiful sunrise. A phone call from a friend. Just the right song on the radio. A delicious meal. Sweet smelling flowers.  He opens our eyes to the good things in our lives each day. He kindly reminds us of His love and His care for us. As we gaze upon Him, we sit at His feet and trust Him once more.

 

 

 

 

Come

                                                                           

 

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28(NKJV)

 

“Come!  All you have to do is come!  If you are weary, come!  If you are discouraged, come! If you are afraid, come! If you mess up, come!  You don’t have to do anything else - just come!”

The young preacher almost burst with enthusiasm as he preached a message that seemed to consist of nothing more than a repetition of the words “just come”. As a young Christian visiting a new church, I was not impressed. In fact, I remember thinking that I could have preached a better sermon myself.

 

 

Fast forward more than 30 years.  As a senior, more mature Christian I can’t tell you how many times that sermon has crossed my mind. Throughout the years, I have heard many elegant, 3 point sermons with multiple Bible references. Most of those sermons are no longer in my memory. But the sermon by the young preacher repeating the words “just come” remains with me.

 

 

Why? Because it is true.  For many years, I thought that I had to do something before I came back to God. When I messed up, I would try harder the next day. Inevitably, the next day I would fall flat on my face. I struggled so hard, but I could never get it all right.

 

The good news is that I don’t have to struggle. Jesus already lived a perfect life when He walked on this earth. He already took my punishment when He died on the cross. All I need to do is to admit that I am wrong then run into the arms of my Father. He is standing there ready to welcome me. All I have to do is to just come.

 

What good news!  What amazing grace! Coming to Christ for salvation is a gift - not something that I earn. My ongoing relationship with God is also by grace alone. When I sin, I just need to admit that I am wrong, then “come - just come”.  It’s that simple. The young preacher was right after all.

 

 

  

Even There

                                                                                                       

 

“If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”Psalm 139:9-10 (NKJV)

 

The night seems to go on forever. Tossing and turning. Worrying and fretting. What if the plane crashes?  What if I get COVID?  What if I lose my job?  What if my health declines?  There is no end to the “what ifs” that can keep us awake at night.

 

None of us knows what tomorrow holds. Unexpected things can occur at any time. Sometimes good things happen.  Some things happen that are not so good. Life is unpredictable. This can be exciting. This can be scary.

 

Psalm 139 talks about a scenario in which  I “take the wings of morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea”.  The psalm doesn’t give me any details of what life would be like in such a remote location. But it does say one important thing.  God is there. No matter where I go in life, EVEN THERE I will find God. He is there, and these things are true:  “His hand shall lead me” and “His right hand shall hold me”. 

 

I don’t know what life will look like today or tomorrow or next month or next year.  But I do know that God will be with me.  He will lead me. He will hold my hand as we walk together. He will comfort me when I am fearful. He will hold me up if I start to fall.

 

Having this promise makes the future seem less scary. I can sleep better at night knowing that wherever life takes me, He is there. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness and your unfailing love.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brute Beast

                                                                     

 

“I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand.” Psalm 73:22-23(NIV)

 

The little girl kicked and screamed.  The ball was in the street, and she wanted it. Her father said “no”.  The child cried; the father kept holding her hand. The little girl whined and pleaded; the good father held onto her hand. The little girl called her daddy “mean”; the good father kept holding her hand. There was danger in the street; the good father will never let go of her hand.

 

So often I am like that child.  I see something I want. I try to get it.  I pray for it. I struggle. I know that God answers prayers, but He doesn’t seem to be answering this one.  I think that God is unfair. Inwardly, I whine and plead. I am very much like the little girl in the story.

 

The Psalmist identifies a person with this attitude as being a “brute beast”.  A brute beast is defined as “an animal destitute of reason”.  Like a brute beast, I ignorantly believe that I know what is best. But the Lord sees the danger that I am unable to see.

 

In Scripture, God is often described as holding my hand.  This is reassuring when I am afraid.  It is encouraging when I am lost.  It is comforting when I feel lonely. In those times, I am thankful for His loving hand on mine.

 

However, when I have sinned, when I want to do things my way, when every part of me wants to get away from Him...then, His hand on mine feels restrictive.  The “brute beast” in me kicks and screams and struggles to get away.  But the good Father keeps holding my hand.

 

When the little girl gets older, she will know that the hand holding her back was a hand of love. 

 

Lord, help me to recognize the depth of your love and of your wisdom. When You say “no” to something I want, may I trust You. May I find joy in Your Presence and be grateful that Your hand is holding mine.