In Reflection – The Open Door

Before the wind could whip my hat away, I grabbed it and tossed it back into the car because I didn’t want to chase it all day.

March 5, 2005 seems like such a long time ago but will forever remain in my memory as the day I fell in love with Tennessee Walking horses. 

The Carolina Walkers hosted the Camden Classic horse show on this beautiful sunny day but the wind blustered and roared. Hats and paper cups blew everywhere. Dirt devils swirled and died. I was amazed to watch these beautiful horses, unperturbed by all the commotion caused by the wind and the activity of the show itself.

That day I made new friends, people and horses. I even held the reins of a mare I’d just met, A Royal Night in Vegas, while her owner, Sue, ran a show-related errand.  

I stood near the arena, looking at Vegas, with her calm, quiet demeanor, while the wind gusted and I knew my dream horse must be a Walking Horse. This type of personality and courage was just what I wanted to fulfill my vision.  

After all, I wanted a horse that I could take to small shows and have fun hanging out with friends, competing and comparing our skills and the talents of our horses. I wanted to show in trail obstacle, driving, halter, and pleasure classes. I dreamed of learning dressage, riding in parades, exploring wooded paths. I couldn’t afford more than one horse to get all of this accomplished in my lifetime. It was such a wonderful thing to have found a horse that could do all of this with the additional bonus of the comfortable ‘glide ride’ of a Tennessee Walking Horse. 

During my dream horse search, and while developing contacts with people in the horse world, I received a picture, via e-mail, of this young, untrained filly named Reecie.

Often I stared at her picture on the computer—imagining the trails we’d ride, the shows we’d enjoy, the fun we’d have. Trying to justify the foolhardiness of me—an overweight, out-of-shape, middle-aged woman with bad knees starting over with a young horse who didn’t even have enough training to be called “green” yet.  

It was during one of these daydream sessions, asking God for the wisdom to make the right decision, again gazing at her picture on the computer,

I saw IT. More than just a blaze, her face marking is ─ a CROSS. This, no SHE, is the open door and with that cross on her face I knew it wasn’t a mistake. God had brought this horse into my life for His purpose. 

In Reflection

Recognizing the door God opens is superb, having the courage to enter is sublime. God granted me courage for that moment, Reecie is the horse He had planned for me all along. She brings me tremendous joy. I am grateful God closed the doors I tried to enter without him. 

“Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him” (Isaiah 64:4 NASB). 

Lord God, thank You for the closed doors that made it possible for me to wait for You and to wait for Reecie. I’m so happy You gave me a horse marked with a cross. A beautiful reminder of You every time I look at her face. 

Sleepless Nights—My 4-Step Solution

Eyes wide open, I turned to look at the clock on the nightstand, 2:18. I groaned, “Not again, why in the world am I awake at 2 in the morning? That’s the third night in a row. There’s nothing I can do at 2 a.m. to fix any of my problems, so why am I awake?”

Sleepless nights. We all have them at one time or another. Sometimes we’re awake because of pain, or hunger, or some other physical reason. More often, it’s our own mind, our thoughts waking us up, keeping us awake.

Just this week, I read not one, not two, but THREE different posts on Facebook from friends who struggled with not enough sleep.

In 2 Corinthians 11:27 the apostle Paul writes, “I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” (NASB)

Awake in the middle of the night, I know there’s not a thing I can do to solve any of my problems. I’m not at work to earn money to pay bills, the household chores have either been done or must wait so I don’t wake my husband, and it’s certainly the wrong time to consult with any friends who might be able to help.

It’s just me.

Well, it’s me AND God.

I used to ask, “Why am I awake?”

But now I turn to my 4-Step solution for these sleepless nights. Mentally, instead of dwelling on the things I cannot do at 2 a.m. I,

• • Praise God for His amazing creation
  • Share thoughts of gratitude
  • Pray for the people whose names come to my mind
  • “Cast my cares” upon Him

Without fail, every sleepless night I take the opportunity to do these things, when I do  fall asleep, I rest well and waken refreshed, ready to meet the challenges of the new day.

The next time you’re confronted with a sleepless night, spend that time with the Lord. You won’t regret it.

It might even become the most productive part of your day.

“I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely,” Psalm 16:7-9 (NASB).

One Like No Other

Shattered, broken, shards strewn everywhere. Whether it’s a dish that crashed to the floor, or overwhelming tragedies in life, still—shattered.

Drowning in debt, the loss of a loved one, or relationships falling apart often leave us feeling broken, useless, unworthy. Sometimes the broken dish can be repaired with some glue but usually it’s swept up and thrown into the trash. Devastating circumstances can cause us to trash ourselves, others, give up on any repair.

 

Yet, there is hope.

God uses these same challenging circumstances to mold us like a potter molds a lump of clay.

A potter places the lump of clay on a wheel and sets the wheel in motion. The clay is thrown in ever spinning circles. The potter’s hands encircle the clay, applying pressure in just the right places to form the shape he desires.

Sharp tools carve out designs, provide special features, help each piece become unique.

One like no other.

Our circumstances, good and bad, become the pressure and the tools in the Lord’s hands as He shapes us into the person He desires.

One like no other.

Just when we think that all is lost, hopeless, God reminds us that He is the Potter, and He’s not finished yet. He squeezes us, remolding, pinching off a piece here, and smoothing over a rough patch somewhere else. He changes us in a “do over.” To make us—

One like no other.

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand,” Isaiah 64:8 (NIV).

 

One Like No Other

Shattered, broken, shards strewn everywhere. Whether it’s a dish that crashed to the floor, or overwhelming tragedies in life, still—shattered.

Drowning in debt, the loss of a loved one, or relationships falling apart often leave us feeling broken, useless, unworthy. Sometimes the broken dish can be repaired with some glue but usually it’s swept up and thrown into the trash. Devastating circumstances can cause us to trash ourselves, others, give up on any repair.

 

Yet, there is hope.

God uses these same challenging circumstances to mold us like a potter molds a lump of clay.

A potter places the lump of clay on a wheel and sets the wheel in motion. The clay is thrown in ever spinning circles. The potter’s hands encircle the clay, applying pressure in just the right places to form the shape he desires.

Sharp tools carve out designs, provide special features, help each piece become unique.

One like no other.

Our circumstances, good and bad, become the pressure and the tools in the Lord’s hands as He shapes us into the person He desires.

One like no other.

Just when we think that all is lost, hopeless, God reminds us that He is the Potter, and He’s not finished yet. He squeezes us, remolding, pinching off a piece here, and smoothing over a rough patch somewhere else. He changes us in a “do over.” To make us—

One like no other.

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand,” Isaiah 64:8 (NIV).

 

Coffee – A Life Lesson

Coffee.

Rich, dark, aromatic.

I open the container of coffee and inhale the perfume of one of my favorite fragrances.

In anticipation I wait for the brew to finish [stopped and went to make coffee] so I can enjoy the flavor of this delicious liquid.

It’s strange that such a delightful treat results from filtering water through the gritty bits of crushed coffee beans. Gritty bits that are then thrown away or used for compost.

Whether using a drip maker, old-fashioned percolator, French press, or even an espresso machine the same technique applies – We FILTER the coffee and the result is a pleasant beverage.

Which leads me to ponder this —

I filter my coffee, but do I filter my words?

Is what I say pleasant?

Delightful?

Or instead do I share the gritty bits?

We can use this filter from Chapter 4 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” (verse 31, NIV)

And brew delightful relationships

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (verse 32)

 

 

The Greatest is Love

Oh no, Lord. Not again. I breathe in silent prayer for the young man who staggered up to my counter at the store. Father, I don’t know if this boy is drunk or strung out on drugs. But You know him Lord. You know what problems he faces, the struggles. You even hold the answer. Please help him overcome whatever holds him captive.

“How can I help you.” The young man asks about our Western Union service. I finish his transaction and watch while he walks away. Still not steady, but walking. I pray for his mother too.

We’re told, “pray without ceasing,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NASB) and that makes sense with the many opportunities to pray for others. For deliverance, for salvation, redemption, health, finances,

For peace….

At the store I also see many reasons to praise God for the love and grace He provides.

“But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love,” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NASB). Some translations have the word love translated as charity and this love is evident in the tiny grocery store as customers give to others—

The leather-clad biker who leaves his change, a $20 bill, to the young mother with a toddler and an infant, standing in line behind him.

The woman who pulls out her debit card to pay the remaining $7 for a college student’s purchase so he doesn’t have to choose what food to put back.

The man who reached into his own pocket for the change needed to cover the elderly man’s meal.

People who struggle to feed themselves and their own family yet pull out a $5 bill to purchase prepackaged groceries for the local food pantry.

The cashiers who put a handful of change from their own purses at their register, just in case somebody comes up a little short.

The director of a faith-based thrift store who arranges with the grocery manager to pay the bill of a family enduring hardship.

These things demonstrate the greatness of America. It’s not the politics (which often leave us disheartened no matter what viewpoint we hold) but the people. Their love and their prayers.

Our Love.

Our prayers.

Our Father.

“… put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, …
“Whatever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father,” Colossians 3:14-17 (NASB).

Loose Terminal = No Power

Saturday my husband and I ran errands. We got into the car to leave the first stop and head to the second. The car wouldn’t start.

Nothing. Not even a click.

He looked at me, I looked at him, he said, “Go see if someone can give us a jump.” I got out of the passenger seat to go back inside Sonic to get help while he tried again. It started before I reached the restaurant door so I climbed back into the car.

Weird.

I finished at the credit union (Saturday hours are great), got back in the car. It wouldn’t start. Again nothing.

My husband got out, opened the hood and started checking things. I sat in the driver’s seat to test it when he asked. He wiggled this, adjusted that, but since all his tools were home, we still needed to get there. One final adjustment, he signals me through the windshield to turn the key. This time it started. Next few errands will have to wait for another day. We needed to get the car home before we got completely stranded.

In the driveway at home, Tony checked the car again, turning the key in the ignition.

Nothing.

He pulled his tools out of the garage and went to work. He found a loose battery terminal.

photo courtesy of Pixabay

Loose terminal = no battery power to the engine components.

The day before, Friday, I read 1 Chronicles, Chapter 13 about David moving the ark of the covenant. He didn’t follow the instructions God gave on how it must be transported, and bad things befell the men who were moving it.

“David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”
2 Chronicles 13:12 (NASB).

On the surface these two events are not related, yet how many times do we limit the power available to us, the power of God Almighty, because of our fear?

Fear is like a loose battery terminal. It impedes the flow of energy. It prevents us from drawing upon the power of God. Of course, we can’t manipulate God, but we can tighten our connections.

And just like my husband needed his tools to tighten the battery terminal we need our tools, the Scriptures, to keep our connection to God, and His power.

Update. The car is running fine.

Lord, how many times do I limit the power available to me through You by letting fear control my behavior instead of doing things Your way? Help me to learn from David’s mistakes and not repeat them.

When is Independence Not a Good Thing

“Me do it.” The little girl grabbed the hairbrush from her mother.

“Look Ma, no hands.” The boy peddled his bike past his mother, his hands raised in the air.   

“Don’t worry Dad, I’ve got this.” The college graduate heads out for his job interview.

Independence.

We demand it. We desire it for our children. We even celebrate it.

But, “independently” isn’t always the best way to do things.

Examples –

• During the battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites, when Moses
  held up his arms the Israelites prevailed. If his arms dropped, the Amalekites were winning. Fatigued, unable to keep his arms up independently, Aaron and Hur came to his aid. With them holding Moses arms up for him, Israel won the battle. 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+17&version=NASB

• As the Israelites settle into their routine, Moses handled disputes between the people. All of them. In a large group there are many. Too many. Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, tells Moses, “the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.” Jethro continues to advise Moses to delegate some of the responsibility and share the workload.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+18&version=NASB

Both these examples refer to a burden that is “too heavy”. Moses’ arms, the task of settling all the disagreements. The scriptures encourage getting others to help. Of not handling things independently.

Support groups exist to help each other. Share common goals. Ease burdens that are too heavy.

As a writer, I’m grateful to have http://lexingtonwordweavers.com/ to help me. To lift me up, provide suggestions, offer correction.

A large reason for the existence of the church is to share each other’s burdens. Provide wise counsel. Lift each other up. “. . .and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near,” Hebrews 10:24-25

This passage in Hebrews came to my mind as I watched the solar eclipse from the horse pasture. When darkness took over the sky, my horses drew near to each other. For safety, for comfort, for reassurance.

Since the day of the Lord draws ever nearer, let’s continue to encourage each other, to draw closer together, share the heavy burdens. But most important is to be in alignment with God’s will. If we do that, then others might be overwhelmingly amazed at His glorious presence. 

And, darkness will be extinguished by the wonderful Light.

 

 

What If . . . ?

 

I lose my job?

The car breaks down?

I get hurt riding my horse?

My children won’t listen?

There’s a bee in the flower?

What if . . . ?

---

Stop and think –

Many  things we worry about are preceded by  “what if?”

But, God’s plan for us is perfect because He is perfect.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope,” Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB).

We should still work hard at our jobs, maintain our cars, discipline our children, practice safety, etc. But we can be encouraged there are no “what if’s” in God’s plan. He is in control and since He is, we’ve no need to worry.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God,” Philippians 4:6 (NASB).

Let’s remember to trust the Lord and let go of the ‘what if’s.” His every decision, every action, is best for us.

He never struggles with doubts

No second guesses

His will is done with perfect love.

No “what if’s”

Stop to smell the roses, but watch out for the bees.

 

Diving Deep

I peer out over the lake. Watching the water ripple in the breeze. The waves gently lapping the shoreline.

Several yards away from where I sit on the rock, I see the turtle’s head, barely above the waterline.

As a boat approaches, the waves get stronger, crashing louder. The turtle disappears, diving deeper into the water.
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind”, James 1:6 (NIV).
I continue to watch. The turtle reappears.
Another boat, the turtle dives again. This time I think, Is the water quieter down below these waves?
As I sit, watching the waves, the boats, and the turtle, my mind turns to God. His creation, the beauty, but even more His provision – for quiet, for peace, for safety.
The turtle dove into the water to escape the turbulent waves caused by the boats’ wake. We can dive deeper into the Word of God to escape the turbulence caused within the world.

Worry, doubt, problems, loss ─ these often make us feel tossed and blown by the waves of trouble.
Diving deeper into Scripture can bring a tranquility not seen from the surface.

“I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm”, Psalm 55:8 (NIV).