GARDENING WITH PATIENCE

I was getting ready to go outside to do all my ‘dirty work’ and gardening in the yard. After two weeks of busyness and several days of heavy rain I looked up from my coffee and devotions and noticed the sun was finally breaking through a layer of thick gray cloud over central Massachusetts.

“Thank you, Lord! I have a long way to go to restoring the beauty in my own backyard!”

Tying the laces of my sneakers and pulling on a pair of leather work gloves, I started thinking about how much yard work mirrors spiritual life. Yes, there is some dirty work, perhaps unforgiveness, hurts and pains to weed out and issues to clean up, but GOD is a great gardener. He fertilizes and He also prunes. He plants and he also uproots. A time for every purpose under heaven.

I went out into the hot sun and viewed the garden, now overrun with weeds. If there’s one place that illustrates the point of how God does His work in our lives, it’s a garden. There we see plainly that it’s not about the instant results we crave. It isn’t just the surface feel-good colors or praise, but it all starts in the quiet unseen soil of the deepest places of the heart.

If we want a flourishing garden of colorful fruit and fragrant herbs, we might have to do some sweaty weeding first or even shovel a pile of manure to fertilize the dormant ground. We may have to haul wheel barrels of debris or do some heavy lifting first. Maybe we need to do a little fence building to keep groundhogs from stealing our produce.

You get the picture. If we want to reap, we will sow in patience. We may have to deal with heaps of crap or lift some heavy burdens before we get to the joyous Thanksgiving harvest.

The time of feasting is already scheduled, but we have to wait patiently for that glorious celebration.  Then we will see what blossoms. Let's pray the fragrance of our lives spreads the knowledge of Christ and brings many more to the Father's table.

In the meantime, we stink.

DO YOU WANT TO FIND THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE??

There’s a memory verse I learned in Bible School back in the ‘70’s. King James renders it, “Guard your heart, for out of it flow all the issues of life.”  (Prov 4:23) NIV says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” A reference takes you to 10:11 that adds the notion of the mouth of the righteous being “a fountain of life.”

Wellspring. What a beautiful thought. I smiled at the many memories of Rome’s glorious and ancient fountains.  Just standing beside them refreshes your whole body on a hot day. Even the spray can make you tingle from head to toe so that the faintest breeze cools you down and gives you strength to walk for many more miles.

Is my heart a place of refreshment? Is it filled to overflowing and life-giving? Maybe it would be if I tapped into the source Himself and wrote His words on the tablets of my heart. I can store up such vast and valuable treasure in my heart, of wisdom and knowledge of the living God.

As Jesus taught, "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." (Luke 6:45) Or as King James Version put it, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

So then, how do I become a fountain of life? Start by tapping into the Living Water!

Oh God, make me a fountain of life to touch people with the cool refreshing of your Spirit!  We live in such a parched society, how we need your fountain of life!

How we need a breath of hope and inspiration so that when the winds of adversity blow we are cooler and stronger and can persevere for many more miles. Not only so, but then we can help others survive the heat.

HIGHEST HONOR GUARD

This week the “word” in my life has been, “Karen, guard your heart.” What does that mean to you?

I know that the word used in Phil 4:6-7 about the peace that guards our hearts when we pray is similar to how we look at an umpire on first base. He rules over the plays and decides which ones are safe or foul. He blows the whistle and decides who can play and who needs to sit on the bench, who’s in and who’s “OUT!”

The Holy Spirit does this same thing, acting and guiding through the presence of his unspeakable peace. He presides over our lives--if we’ve trusted them to Him in the first place, put on a uniform and joined the team.

If he blows the whistle, it is always for our safety and for our good, and the good of the whole team. If there was no umpire on the field, imagine what sheer pandemonium there would be!

The same word for guarding our heart is used to describe a military guard. I will never forget seeing the prestigious Swiss Guard patrolling the gates of the Vatican last year. They don’t crack a smile or even risk a wink to the tourists snapping pictures.      In brilliant Medieval colors and a spit-polished uniforms, they stand erect and on the ready, with bayonets gleaming. These eye-catching men are dashing and gallant in stripes of gold and turquoise. You can't miss them and you can't escape them. To stand guard is serious business!

Looking at these pictures of such prestigious soldiers before the halls and chambers of the Vatican, I felt the Lord's gentle teaching. "What I have placed in your heart is far more sacred." Then I remembered how Jesus told his disciples that not one stone would remain on top of another and we know that the so-called glory of earthly kingdoms will pass away. But that which is within us, the Spirit of God indwelling his people, will never die! Wow, Lord. We really do have a priceless treasure in these jars of clay! Help me never to forget the value of so great a gift.

Part of ‘guarding’ is trusting God's covering over my life. I ask Him to oversee my actions, protect my affections and guide my passions, but I’m realizing it’s also essential to choose carefully where to place my energies and prioritize my ministries. I need wisdom and guidance in checking emotions and the level of involvement I invest in each endeavor, relationship and commitment. Guarding my heart does not come about casually as I flutter through life like a butterfly over a field of daisies, flitting from one thing to another.

I need to guard my heart with all diligence, and also ask my Father to watch over me. He is my ultimate defender and protector, who never slumbers or sleeps.

Dear God, help me to guard my heart. Open my eyes to see what to allow and what to avoid, because the bottom line is that there is so much at stake if I want to live for you.

Protect and preserve me and keep me on the everlasting way, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

What Ruffles Your Feathers?

I have a job working in the dean’s office on the campus of a technical college outside of Boston. One day, deadlines and conflicts made tensions rise and tempers flare. I really looked forward to my lunch break.

I often walk across the street to the serenity of a little pond where I sit on the grassy slopes under lovely old shade trees and watch the swans. I usually kick off my heels and call friends while I eat. It refreshes my spirit to connect with the people I love while soaking up a little sun and the beauty of God’s world.

Six weeks ago the five baby swans were only half the size of their parents but now they are fully grown. Their feathers are still brown but they are as big as mom, now only distinguishable by her snow white plumage. Hmmm, I wonder if there is any comparison to the white hair of old age associated with wisdom in the Bible?

The other day I noticed a long wedge of Canadian geese arriving and splashing down in the middle of the water with great flourish. Yesterday as I crested the little grassy slope I couldn’t help but notice all the noise and ruckus in a usually tranquil setting. Daddy Swan was chasing the geese with his wings beating the air. The geese were honking and splashing in spurts to get away from the agitated bully. I couldn’t believe his persistence as he paddled after the geese, annoying them until they would leave.

I looked for the rest of the swan family and noticed they were sequestered all the way to my left in an untouched area of the pond. It looked like Mom and the kids were told to wait by the house and Dad went to fend off the unwanted visitors in an all-out pursuit.

Who knew? All the swans I’ve ever seen appeared to be graceful and pleasant with long elegant necks swooning in the gentle motions of silent gliding. I never knew these peaceful creatures were capable of such agitation and aggression.

I’d certainly never seen anything like the aggressor that now commanded the attention of everyone around the pond. It was evident, he wasn’t going to sit back and let these Canadians take over his pond or help themselves to the only food source he knew to provide for his family.

Coming out of a tense office where people were taking out all their upsets on me and my coworker, I couldn’t help but draw parallels.

What ruffles your feathers? What annoys you or pushes you over the edge? What does it take to drive you to abnormal or unusual behavior? Is it unwanted guests? Is it the pressure of a too-tight schedule and ridiculous demands? Is it feeling unloved? Is it the need to be understood?

I wiggled my toes in the grass and laid back to watch puffy white clouds over bright green trees. I love soaking up the warmth of the sunrays and being loved by God. But I don’t like the ruckus of contention and fighting. I don’t like to bear the brunt of someone else’s agitation.

Isn’t it good to know that whatever it is that throws us off kilter and brings the worst out of us, the Lord understands? And when someone or something threatens us, HE is our faithful protector, relentless to guard over everything that pertains to our safety and well-being.

The Psalms tells us that the Lord our God never slumbers or sleeps. He goes before us and is also our rear-guard. He is able to provide for us, cover and comfort us, and restore peace to the pond.

FEAR, FAITH, AND HURRICANE FORCES

A young girl in one of my writers’ classes showed up for class at the end of a long hot day in the inner city. How are you? I asked coming in from work.

“I am soooo stressed!” she said.

“Why?” I asked. “What’s going on?”

We chatted a little on our way up to the classroom.  An ailing grandmother, questions about school and a job, and then she named it. “I’m afraid.”

Fear.  It can be so taxing, so debilitating. As Proverbs says, anxiety depletes our energy and overwhelms. But a word of encouragement lifts us up and refreshes the spirit.

Suddenly I knew how we should begin our class. I was going to choose another writing assignment, but instead I asked her to write about why she felt stressed. “Write as though you’re talking to God.”

What a joy to see her work through those paralyzing emotions on paper, identify the nature of the beast, and then come out on the other side smiling. Her writing had turned into a prayer and a transformation to peace occurred in less than half an hour!

A girlfriend is going to visit her nephew. He’s already served two terms in Iraq and now is being deployed to Afghanistan. He doesn’t think he’s going to make it home this time but they took some time to pray and found real comfort and assurance. I see and hear it and experience it all the time.


Some say prayer doesn’t change things. There are others who think differently. Maybe circumstances won’t change (we may never know) but then there are times when we can only shake our heads and admit to the miraculous.

Personally, I believe prayer is POWERFUL! It changes us, it gives us peace, and in fact it can be more powerful than a hurricane. After all, it moves the hands that set the galaxies and planets on their courses. As Job said, “He hung the earth upon nothing,” and certainly He has the power to affect the circumstances of my life.

Just a few weeks earlier, a very dear friend had driven up from Alabama and was having engine troubles. He and his wife described being stuck and waiting for repairs. At one point, they were even forced to pull over on the side of a sheer drop off, and they were met with a constant stream of obstacles and mechanical issues. After a good meal and a great visit we were saying goodbye and the thought flashed across my mind. “Pray for the truck.”

“Hey you guys, before you leave, maybe we should do a blessing for your rig the way the CMA does bike blessings.”

“Sure!” they smiled.

So I laid my hands face down on the front of the big red hood of their semi. “Dear Lord, we know this is just a big hunk of metal but we’re asking by faith in Jesus’ Name that angels will surround and guard over this vehicle because of the precious lives inside. Give them safety on the road ahead dear Lord, and watch over their lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.”

Just a few simple sentences. No organ music or fanfare. No emotional altar calls or trumpet blasts came from heaven. We just hugged and said goodbye without a clue of what lie ahead.

Days later I got a call. “Did you hear about the weather we’ve had in the South?” he began. “There were hurricane winds right across the highway where we were traveling. Three semis were blown over! Two in front of us and one behind us.”

“Are you kidding me? Three semis blew over?” I had never heard of that and couldn’t imagine the force of the wind required to push over so many tons of metal. “What happened to you?”
 “Ours wasn’t even touched,” he said. “We’re fine. Thank God because we couldn't afford another setback!”

That’s when we remembered the words of our prayer. Did angels physically block their truck because I had laid my hands on it? Did God remember the words of faith and put a covering over them simply because we had asked in Jesus’ Name?

Here’s the challenge. UNLESS we go to God with our concerns and ask in faith, we’ll never know. We can try to carry life's burdens on our own small shoulders, or we can bring them to the Resurrected Lord who is strong enough to handle all the forces and issues of life. You decide.

“For you have not because you ask not.”

James 4:2