Out of the Drought

The sound of rain hitting the rooftops or windows used to be one of my favorite sounds. Used to be is key in that statement. Those of you in the Beulah area know how endless the rain has seemed to be over the last couple of weeks. For those of you outside the area, I'll simply say that in the past two weeks we have broken the previous record for spring rainfall. So, on those rare occasions, those brief days when the clouds vanish and the sun shines, Ezekiel and I spend every possible minute outside. On Saturday, after nearly two days of non-stop rain, we were strolling around the neighborhood after our morning walk. It was glorious: white fluffy clouds (not rain-producing ones), beautiful blue sky, and warm sunshine. As we passed one house, I noticed a lady outside watering her flowers. I shook my head, thinking how ridiculous that was given all the rain we'd had. But after a moment, her actions made me think.

There are times when I feel saturated in the Word of God. Times at camps, retreats, conferences, where I feel so refreshed, so renewed, so solid and so strong in my faith. Those time are wonderful. I love that feeling.

But let's be honest: those feelings never last. I enter times of drought. Times when Scripture seems so dry, where I feel like I've heard it all, where I seem . . . stuck. Those times aren't so wonderful; and unfortunately, they seem to happen more often than I'd like. I don't like these feelings.

So when I saw that lady out watering her flowers, I thought about how I need continual nourishment. Daily waterings. Those "spiritual highs" aren't enough to sustain me and won't get me through the times of drought. What will get me through those times of drought is Him. Jesus. The Word. My Savior.

Thankfully my salvation is not dependent upon on how I feel about my current spiritual state. It's all Him; it's all His grace. But drawing near to Him is not going to happen on its own. As a checklist person, I'd like a list to follow; "Do a-b-c, and then you will feel closer to God today," - but it doesn't work like that.

So what am I going to do? I guess I'll start praying - pray for a new heart, a new spirit, a renewed joy (Psalm 51:10-12). And seek Him. Seek Him diligently (2 Chronicles 16:11). Intentionally set aside that time (even if it's on the toilet) to plunge into His Word for those few precious moments alone (because as a mom, sometimes those are my only moments alone!). Use that four mile walk to commune with Him (Mark 1:35). And looking back at that, it sure looks like an "a-b-c" list. But I hope and pray Jesus never becomes someone I simply check off on my to-do list

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." - James 4:8, NASB

Every (Inconvenient) Opportunity

I really don't like driving on snowy, icy, wind-blown roads. Therefore, I am still here in Sioux Falls rather than in Fargo on my way home to Beulah. I probably could have made it to Fargo today, but I decided that if things got ugly in North Dakota, I'd rather be stuck in Sioux Falls at my parent's house than in Fargo. So here I am. To be honest, I really want to be home. I would love to cook at my stove and wash my dishes. To put my baby boy to bed in his own, real bed instead of a Pack 'N Play. To see my husband and give him a hug. But home is 500-some miles away. And there's a snowstorm looking like it's going to keep me here until potentially Thursday.

So, I decided to make the most of this opportunity. To go visit my grandparents now instead of planning on doing it this summer because I don't know how much time we've got left. To maybe look up some friends in the area simply because I've got time and relationships are important. To let my little man have these extra bonding days with his grandparents. Even though I am looking forward to home, I've got to do something and be faithful with this time I have here in Sioux Falls. I need to do the same spiritually as well.

Sometimes, instead of making the most of the time I have here and now, I am simply looking ahead, to our eternal home. Like when I consider world events. I hope and pray that Jesus will come back soon. I would love for my little man to be protected from so much of the evil happening in the world; to witness the coming of Christ. And I think that as believers, we are to look forward to His coming and prepare for it. But sometimes, it'e easy for us to forget to work while we're here. To be fruitful for His kingdom. To make His name known to people and in places where His name hasn't been heard. To make disciples.

"But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me . . . But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is much more necessary for your sake." - Philippians 1:22-23

While we wait for His coming, while we live on in the flesh - we've got work to do. It won't be finished until He calls us home. May we be a body who is busy about His work, doing what He has called us to do, making the most of every opportunity -- even those that seem to inconvenience us. 

"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." - Galatians 6:10

No Insignificant Part

A huge portion of my "missional heart" belongs to Operation Christmas Child. I think I've been packing shoe boxes ever since the project started back in 1993; and if it wasn't then, it was only a year or two later that we began. For seven years in a row I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Processing Center in Minneapolis with my youth group. I was able to volunteer at Relay Centers, both in Sioux Falls and in Bismarck. I've been encouraged as I've seen the church here in Beulah rally behind this project and the number of shoe boxes donated from our little town grow over the past years. This past week, I received the "Special Report" magazine from Samaritan's Purse, highlighting the OCC gifts and distributions this past year.  As my eyes took in the immense smiles on the children's faces, the utter joy and disbelief at the gifts they were receiving, tears came to my eyes. And I thought - "I want to be a part of that."

It's been a dream of mine to deliver Operation Christmas Child boxes. I would love to be involved in OCC's discipleship course, The Greatest Journey. I want to see the joy on those children's faces personally; I want to rejoice with them as they not only receive wonderful physical gifts, but as they receive the gift of Jesus as their Savior. Because at first glance, at first thought -- that's the important work. That's the exciting work. That's the work on the front lines, where all the action takes place.

But as quickly as I thought, "I want to be a part of that" - I was reminded that I am a part of it. Just not on the front lines. Just because my work begins in Beulah, North Dakota population 3130, doesn't make it any less important. Any less significant. Any less needed.

I'm a part of the body. The body of Christ. What I do, how I serve looks different from what you do, how you serve. Sometimes it's all too easy to deem the "seen" positions as the important parts of the body. We forget that toes offer our bodies balance. That eyelashes keep dirt and debris away from our eye. That tiny taste buds make eating enjoyable.

"But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you'; or again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.' On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary . . ." - 1 Corinthians 12:18-23

Did you catch that? There is no insignificant part of the body of Christ.

Although I man not be able to see the faces of those children as they open their shoe box gifts, maybe I'll get to meet them in heaven. Hear their story about how a box full of toiletries and toys introduced them to their Savior. But best of all will be seeing His face and hearing Him proclaim,

"'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'" - Matthew 25:21

Just a Vapor

Fall is probably my favorite season. I love the cooling temperatures, the beautiful colors, and the anticipation of holidays where families and friends re-connect. And if I'm honest, when I was younger, I even enjoyed the return to school. But unfortunately, the things I love about fall disappear all too quickly - especially when living in North Dakota. The leaves seem to change overnight. The wind strips them of those beautiful leaves in the blink of an eye. This year, as I watched one of our trees change from green to yellow to bare in less than a week's time, I realized how much of a "vapor" life is. 

I don't know about you, but I want to savor each beautiful moment of every day I am gifted with. Sadly, though, we live in a world that thrives on being busy. For some reason, we feel more important when our schedule are booked from before the sun comes up until long after its retired for the night. When everyone around us is running wildly, we feel that we've got to do the same - otherwise, there's something wrong with us. Along the way we may catch glimpses of the beauty around us - the physical beauty of the earth, the joyous beauty of the life of family and friends, even the beauty of stillness - but we hardly pause long enough to enjoy them. We don't stop long enough to simply be. To simply soak in all that is going on around us. 

I don't know about you, but that's not how I want to live my life. That's not how I want to see my son grow up. So, admittedly, there are days I don't get much "done" around the house. There are days when all I do is play with my little man, take him on a walk, snuggle with Zeke for an afternoon nap, and make supper for my husband. But you know what? I've decided that's okay. Because the past 21 weeks have gone fast enough. I know that my life - that Jordan's life - that Zeke's life - is just a vapor. 

"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." - James 4:14

I don't know about you, but I want to savor each day I am blessed with. I don't want to live thinking, "Okay, we've just got to get through this phase," or, "Life will just be easier or better when . . ." It's hard to know that that looks like - what it looks like to enjoy every day (even the difficult ones); it's hard to know how we can soak up the vapor that comprises our life. Maybe all it is is stopping. Stopping to thank the Lord - genuinely. Pausing to look around you - to let your eyes soak in the beauty that is around you. Enjoying - not wishing - our lives and days away, hoping for the next "exciting" season of life. 

We already know that life is just a vapor; that life is going to speed on by. So let's do what we can to enjoy it, eh?

"This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

What Will You Do?

This past week, I had a small encounter with single parenting. Jordan took for the AFLC Annual Conference for four days, leaving Zeke and I to fend for ourselves. The good news: we're both still alive!; and visits from family and friends made the days I thought would last forever go quickly. Needless to say, I'm glad I am not a single parent and that Jordan made it back safely.

Every evening as Ezekiel chows down on milk, Jordan and I do our devotions together. Once we've finished that, Jordan reads a couple of chapters out of a Boxcar Children book to Ezekiel. Since I was alone last week, I did some reading to Zeke on my own from a children's storybook Bible that we have. Interestingly, the story of Jonah was portrayed a bit happier than the actual account we find in Scripture. Instead of bringing a message of destruction to Ninevah - "Yet 40 days and Ninevah will be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4) - this version records Jonah telling the people how much God loved them. Which, no doubt, is true: the LORD loved the people of Ninevah and he does indeed love each one of us. But isn't it interesting how that love is often what we focus on? What we hear from the pulpit, in books, and on TV? It's a lot more comfortable, isn't it? And it's definitely an easier message to bring to the lost.

A few days ago, during my devotions, I was struck by these words spoken by the LORD through the prophet Jeremiah:

"'An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophecy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?'" (Jeremiah 5:30-31)

The LORD says that those whom He placed in authority over His people brought false messages and made decisions as they deemed appropriate. False messages instead of the truth - which was no doubt difficult to hear (who wants to hear that judgement and destruction is coming?). Ruling on their own authority rather than seeking the LORD's guidance, recognizing His authority over them.

What really struck me, though, was the challenge laid down by the LORD: what will you do?

As we draw nearer each day to the return of Christ, I believe false messages will continue to abound - and unfortunately, many of them will come from leaders in the church.

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3) 

So, what will you do? Are you prepared? Do you know the truth? Are you ready to speak it, regardless of the cost?