Midnight Orchids

 

FINDING BEAUTY IN THE BROKEN PLACES

I just saw a wonderful little piece in the NICE NEWS email of the day. (If you’re interested in reading some of the good things people are doing in the world, see today@nicenews.com.)

 

As I quickly scanned the day’s features, there was a piece on the Hollywood sign in L.A. being painted for its 100th birthday, a heading about the UK’s success with a 4-day work week, and the post of the day headlined John Cena, for his record-breaking efforts with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. I smiled. Isn’t it great to see a celebrity in the news for something as good as making terminal children’s dreams come true? 

Then, this lovely photo of a mosaic on the street caught my eye. Literally, on the street! 

The photo itself is artistically perfect, with autumn leaves blown along the curb and a crack in the pavement, with bright colors in circular designs fitted perfectly between.  I blinked twice to see if the decorative tiles were real or some sort of eye-catching hoax. We certainly don’t expect to see such glorious art lying on the street in this day and age.

Sure enough, the article describes an anonymous artist in Lyons, France who repairs potholes with lovely mosaics!  

He is known simply as Ememem, not to be confused with Eminem, the American rapper.  This man calls himself a bitumender referencing the bitumen substance in the pavement. What a wonderful craft, this poet in pavement has created for himself. I checked out his website and discovered a few more inspiring photos of his creations. 

He says that from the time he started, he knew he would be doing this for the rest of his life. What we view as a major nuisance, the bane of our driving existence, this man comes along and sees a place where he can make a difference.  

 

I am so greatly inspired by the notion that one artist can lighten up his whole city with a message of such transformative beauty.  He found opportunity in the very places that are crying out for repair. And he did it by tapping into a God-given ability to bring color and beauty into the broken places. 

 

What a plan! What a passion!  What inspiration for all who pass by! I’m sure that from now on, tourists will come to seek out the map of his workmanship and photograph them all.  

That Hollywood sign (described in the same email this morning) was originally erected for a small piece of real estate but grew to represent an entire culture. It has become one of the most recognized American landmarks of all time, but no one ever expected it to last 100 years. 

 

I think Ememem’s art will grow and inspire pedestrians as well as artists around the world, maybe for the next hundred years.   

This story begs the question, how do you see the problems around you?  More importantly, how can you use your God-given abilities to make them better?

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed. There are millions of displaced people. Hungry children. Victims of war and abuse.  What difference can I, little ole me, make in this broken world?

But this brief item in the morning news truly encouraged me. Of course one man can’t line every street with art in a lifetime, but maybe he can still make a big difference. This man is filling a lot of the gaping eyesores, like open wounds in our hurting world. He's doing his part in life, one horrible little pothole at a time!

K Low Deloge

 

SAVING FACE

What does the expression, to save face, mean? The first answer that popped up in my search read: to retain respect and avoid humiliation.  Face is further described online as "a combination of social standing, reputation, influence, dignity, and honor. Causing someone to lose face lowers them in the eyes of their peers. But saving face or building face raises self-worth—obviously a better outcome for everyone."

When we hear about losing face or saving face, we’re talking about a person’s value. It’s not about being right or wrong, but how you treat people. Nowadays, it's extremely rare to see someone honored, respected, or treated with dignity--especially if, God forbid, you have a different point of view! It is bewildering. 

Let me tell you a little story that led me to think about this. Last week, I tripped on the sidewalk and fell down pretty hard, breaking my knee. Strangely, we could see no obvious reason for it. I simply came to a thin line in the concrete and my right shoe stuck, while the rest of me kept going!   

 

The only thing that saved my face, literally, was the visor of the new ballcap on my head!   When I first saw it in a store window, I burst out laughing, so my husband bought it for me just two weeks earlier. 

Make Karen Great Again!

Isn't that interesting? We know politics has been painfully divisive, but my name's being trashed by a world of critics these days. So I wear it in good humor, after about two years of hearing, What a Karen! and, You're a Karen if... 

  

Of course, Karen was one of 10 most common American names in the baby-boom era. Now, along with redefining terms and telling us what we can and can’t say, I see this as another method of demeaning people with a different worldview. It seems to me that the same people who like to cancel culture, deny history, and tear down statues, seem to enjoy ridiculing people my age.  

 

So I wear the hat and smile. Yes, my name is Karen, but I won’t be silenced!  No college professor can shame me from my views. I won’t stop thinking and I won’t let them tell me what to think. I still believe in free speech, history, two genders in creation, common sense, and Biblical values. And I believe we should love one another, too! 

 

In the end, it's interesting to ponder, the same hat that physically saved my face, can also help to build my face, defined earlier as social standing, influence, dignity, and honor! I wear it proudly!

 

FOOT NOTE (pun intended)

 

I can’t help but go back to the fact that when I fell there was no visible reason for it. We turned around and scratched our heads. No sticks or stones broke my bones! (Yes, my knee was actually fractured, though I didn't know it until 5 days later.) And as I mentioned earlier, we saw nothing but a thin gray line in the concrete. 

Just like today, there’s no apparent reason for the things that are tearing us apart and causing us to fall from peace. We have simply crossed the line. We may not know the full impact for a long time.   

Now, what's on the other side of this line, America?  It might cost us dearly, but we need to keep walking and we need to keep talking. Heaven help us, may we never lose our voice.

 

PRINTER ISSUES – PAUSE and UNPAUSE

 

I love my Brothers printer. For a mere $100, it is by far the best little workhorse I’ve ever owned. It prints a speedy 30 pages per minute, and it easily does two-sided pages.  My favorite part is that I rarely need to think about toners.  She runs two solid years without needing a replacement! 

 

By way of contrast, my old HP printer used to cost a fortune in magenta, cyan, yellow and black toners.  It seemed every six weeks I needed another toner, and they used to cost about $40 each. (They’ve probably doubled by now.)  Not so for my trusty little Brothers. I just bought a toner that will last another two years for only $15 online!  Granted, it’s only black and white, but for the rare project that requires color, I can go to a print shop.  I’ve had it over ten years now, and it still works like new. 

So, you can imagine my surprise when I ran into a printer conundrum yesterday.  Just days after struggling to get my wandering Prodigal drone home (see previous article), I came into the office to a backlog of projects and print jobs.  There’s part of a manuscript to be edited, a Torah lesson in Genesis that I’m teaching, and a new issue of Torah Sisters magazine.  I had everything plugged in and loaded the specific layout instructions for each. The only trouble is, when I hit the print command, nothing happened.  I opened the printer icon on the computer screen, and it correctly listed all the print jobs in queue.  So, what’s the hold up?

 

I checked the paper tray, looked for any possible jams or obstructions, and rebooted everything.  After some head-scratching and pondering, I noticed a little red triangle with an exclamation point in the corner of the screen. It said, DOOR OPEN.  Once again, I went around the printer, front, sides and back, making sure every tray and door was tightly closed. I shut it off, rebooted, tried again.

 

IS THE DOOR OPEN?

 

This went on for some time.   I reloaded the paper tray, pulled the toner cartridge out, opened and shut every compartment, unplugged and plugged everything again just to be sure. I shut it off and let it rest.  Oh, maybe it’s another dropped signal/WIFI issue?  No, it says it’s got a strong signal.  

 

Just as I was about to give up and walk away, I checked the queue one last time.  Everything was listed properly.  As I prepared to clear the screen and shut it down, a little window said, your printer is paused, CLICK TO UNPAUSE.

 

CLICK TO UNPAUSE?  That's so EASY!

 

What had I been doing for half an hour, but trying to tell it to PRINT the jobs that were sitting and ready to print?  When did I ask it to PAUSE?  I wasted about half an hour on this nonsense, and now it’s telling me it was paused?  Well, of course, I clicked and unpaused it!

 

Relieved as I was to see the printer finally acting like its old reliable self, churning out all the jobs in queue, perfectly, neatly stacking up in the paper tray, I was also somewhat confused. Did I unknowingly do this, or did some fluke WIFI airwave trip signals and cause this glitch? 

 

I may never know the cause, but I’m happy I don’t need to fix, replace, or purchase a new printer. The old Brothers was easily UNPAUSED and beautifully printed the 70 pages I needed.

 

 

PAUSE AND UNPAUSE

 

Meanwhile, my husband Doug was downstairs wondering why I had disappeared.  Start to finish, this ordeal lasted about 40 minutes!  Part of the problem is that I broke my knee last week and can’t bend my left leg to reach the printer comfortably.  All this checking was truly painstaking, leaning over with a cane. 

 

In my final text to him, I wrote, “I JUST got the printer going after all this time! Maybe something else to write about?”  

 

As soon as I sent that, everything clicked. I immediately smiled, and started reflecting on the common threads between my Prodigal drone losing signal and taking off without instructions, and my old faithful printer suddenly quitting on the job.  

 

These failed commands and poor performances have certainly been frustrating! But these mirror messages seem to take on much deeper meaning.  I know, I’m “going all Welshy” again (little storyteller of Wales), wanting to dig down and tap into some of the spiritual lessons here. 

I can relate the wayward drone not only to the Prodigal Son, but to the story of Jonah, the self-willed servant.  The Father gave him specific instructions, but he decided to take off and go his own way.  How could he think God wouldn’t notice?  

 

Of course, the Father never stopped loving him, and never changed his mind about the instructions either. Thankfully, for the good of 120,000 people who were spared judgment, He eventually got his wayward prophet on the same page. It took a giant storm, an enormous fish, a small fern, and a teensy hungry worm to persuade him.  Our Father can use anything!

 

Now, my paused printer reminds me of a similar disfunction, when we pick and choose when to perform and when to ignore the Father’s commands.  Far too many believers have stopped mid-stream.  They were earnest and responsive at one time, but somehow lost heart and withered on the vine. Perhaps disappointments and loss caused walls to go up. You don’t pray anymore or spend time in the Word.  You got emotionally and spiritually stuck. On the fence. Complacent. Lukewarm.    

 

Ask yourself, is the DOOR OPEN?  Am I as ready and connected and useful to God as I think I am? Or is something out of place in my life?  Do I ask God to show me if there’s anything I’m missing, as David did?  When you’re all in, you don’t hesitate. 

 

Search me, God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24  

 

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  Rev 3:20 The Lord is at the door but He waits for you to open it.  (Remember, this is spoken to believers, not the unsaved!)

 

Did I PAUSE my connection and my listening ear to the queue of God’s instructions somehow? Am I emotionally or spiritually stuck and unable to function as I should?

 

Father God, am I frustrating to you by going my own way, leaning on my own understanding, virtually shutting down, or not following your commandments as I ought? 

 

When you finally see the warning, it’s a very simple task to click the unpause, and get going again.  

 

For the Love of the Drone

In the spring of 2021, my husband retired and we bought a 22’ camper. We were experienced tent campers, but never hauled a trailer before. So, we started watching YouTube videos to pick up the tricks of the trade.  One video documented a man’s entire journey from Florida to San Diego in a small RV. It was fun to watch how he powered and charged his rig and cooked his meals. 

One habit of this adventuresome driver got me especially excited. At every camping spot he would level the camper, get out to stretch, and then fly his drone before sunset.  He wanted to chronicle his journey with daily snippets of each place he camped.  Not merely repetitive and boring shots of his rig in a parking spot, but gorgeous aerial views of the whole landscape! And what spectacular views you can get with this little gadget!  I was amazed. Everything looks better from above!

Let me tell you, the traffic jams in the city, the parking conumdrums at the gas stations, and the long hard climbs up steep mountain passes weren’t what made us want to run out and try our first cross-country trip. It’s the rainbow skies at sunset over the desert, waterfalls and mountain views that make you thirst for more!  What a beautiful country we have!  After oohing and ahhing, I said out loud, “I’d love to do that.” 

Doug knows how excited I get about taking pictures. I should have been a photojournalist.  He also knows, painfully too well, how often I beg him to stop the truck, or stop along the trail saying, “Let me get that shot real quick!” He’s so good and so understanding of me. 

So, here I am, the proud owner of a HolyStone drone! (Isn’t he the best?) 

I’ve since enjoyed capturing places we’ve camped around the country. It takes such vivid and impressive photos! I learned how to scroll the lens to get a shot of us waving from the base camp, too. What a great way to remember the places we’ve been! I love getting her up about two or three hundred feet and rotating toward the horizons to shoot what we cannot see from the ground.  Talk about a perspective changer!  

Then, in the spring of 2022, we moved into a 1700’s brick colonial in rural Massachusetts, and our RV has been set up on our private campground along a riverbank for the entire year. We have a big firepit, canopy, chairs, assorted coolers and hammocks, surrounded by mature oaks and maple trees that provide cool shade. This has been a place of joy to us all year, but I’d yet to capture any drone shots.  

So just last week, after a terrible heat wave, I finally got the drone out. There was a slight breeze, but the air was cool and conditions seemed perfect when we set it up for take-off.  

Now, how do you do this again?  I reviewed a cheat sheet of instructions about calibrating and connecting to the Wi-Fi signal. I snapped my cellphone into the remote, adjusted the antennas, and powered up.  Then, you push the elevation button, and it springs to life, hovering at about 4 feet waiting for instructions, like a good hunting dog!   

My heart races with excitement every time! I work the controls, up, up, and back over the big house.  Then, right, left, keeping away from the trees, I steered it into the clear sky.  Higher, higher! 

I was standing about 80 feet from the house (and WIFI signal), and the gentle wind didn’t seem to be affecting it.  HolyStone was holding steady, and I started snapping pictures that were clear and sharp. Beautiful!

Okay, let’s go a little further, I thought. Higher, up over the street, I got some shots of the whole yard and layout of the land over the river that looked spectacular.  This is so fun! I rotated it toward town and toward a friend’s subdivision, and shot different angles looking south and west.

While I was deciding where to go next, the drone did something I’ve never seen before! It just started took off ALL BY ITSELF!  It maintained altitude but moved steadily in the opposite direction even though I wasn’t moving the remote controls!   No! No! Noooo!

I hollered to my husband to get the car keys. “We’ll have to chase it and watch where it comes down!”  Doug ran to get his phone. Would it crash? Would it be completely destroyed?

LOST SIGNAL!  DISCONNECTED! 

Meanwhile, the green bar on my phone turned red, and a warning signal flashed,  “DISCONNECTED. YOU HAVE LOST SIGNAL.” I never took my eyes off it, walking toward the street.  My drone crossed over the houses and continued shrinking like a tiny dragonfly toward the blue sky.  

I kept trying the remote controls to no avail.  How is it still going? I wondered. And where is it going without any direction?  

We occasionally lose internet in the house, but it quickly finds the signal and we resume where we left off.  But what if the drone is too far away before the signal returns?  I guess it’s heading to Rhode Island at this point!

I was sad watching it leave. Well, I told myself, it was fun while it lasted. Thank God, my cellphone didn’t go with it! 

But I couldn’t give up or take my eyes off it.  I kept trying to steer it toward me, testing the up down control to see if it would respond.  Hoping it would! 

Finally, when it was about half a mile away, I could see through the camera in my hand, that it stopped moving away from me and picked up my signal!  It started rotating and responding to my controls!  

The indicator turned yellow on my bar.  Yes! It was picking up a faint signal again!  Come back! Come home! I kept calling to my little bug in the sky.  

I really didn’t want to hit that “emergency home” button. I’d read that might have steered her straight into trees or powerlines, sustaining serious damage.  Instead, I was able to steer it all the way back to our little clearing for a safe clear landing, right where we began.

My wild little drone had come to her senses and returned home, unharmed!  

From now on, I’m calling her, the Prodigal. She went on a wild adventure, but hopefully, she will never leave home for that long again.

Food for thought:  

John 15 -  Stay connected to the One who loves you.

Luke 15 – The joy of being found and coming home.

Eph 2:12-13  Remember, you who were once far away, alienated and disconnected from the Father, without God and without hope in the world, have been brought near through the love of One who never gave up on you--Messiah.  

 

A Real Fishing Pole

This little poem originally published in 2006 when I first started this blog. Now, this little boy's about to turn 20 and he's finishing his sophomore year at Florida State!  Where have the years gone? 

I fulfilled a dream in my grandson’s life this week. 

And for this Nana, it was a real special treat… 

My daughter’s back went out of whack and she couldn’t get any sleep. 

So I took the kids outside for awhile so she wouldn’t hear a peep. 

We circled the pond and the park and the swings. 

We laughed and blew bubbles and did all sorts of things. 

 

One of the games that we’ve played on our strolls 

Is to make-believe fish using sticks for our poles. 

But we passed some kids who were casting for fish 

And I heard that little boy make a real sweet wish. 

“I wish I had a real fishing pole,” he said sadly. 

That made me want to go fishing real badly. 

So into the car and off to the store 

Where we found a whole kit with tackle galore. 

We assembled the gear in Papa’s old shop. 

Dusted off the workbench and stood in his spot. 

So good to remember his life so well lived, 

And being with his grandson is such a special gift. 

My dear boy seemed taller as he carried that rod 

On his shoulder so proudly, I gave him a nod, 

And we talked about Papa whose old pocket knife 

Would probably stay with him the rest of his life. 

“Let’s blow him a kiss,” the dear boy suggested. 

I’m glad for the time in his life he invested. 

I keep flashing back to my own little kids-- 

Surprised how their faces still live in my lids. 

We positioned ourselves near some rocks and logs And we tried frozen corn and some soggy hotdogs. We cast for awhile and this Nana was thinking, 'Harder than it looks,' as our bait kept on sinking. 

 

We could see fish and we fed them awhile, 

Till he suddenly caught one—and then came a smile!

The red and white bobber tugged up and down,

"Where did he go?" He asked with a frown. 

We reeled and squeeled and jumped all around 

And finally we had him up on the ground! 

With rainbow colors and shimmering scales 

He gave that boy his first fishin’ tale. 

I’ll never forget our first fishing trip 

With hooks and lines and a real good grip, 

And a shiny red fishing pole that’s actually real, 

He saw how to go out there and reel in a meal!

WHAT DO YOU PROFIT IF YOU LOSE YOUR SOUL?

For what shall it profit a man, 

if he gains the whole world, 
and loses his own soul? 

Mark 8:36

When I saw this verse this morning, it took me back to the campus of Babson College where I worked as assistant to the Dean after we returned to the States. 

I remember Wellesley for its prestige and wealth, where winding avenues wrap around glamorous brick mansions and European Tudor homes with manicured lawns. Classy restaurants and pricey shops dot the curbs lined with luscious floral arrangements, and elegant swans grace the pond beside town hall. 

In this prestigious community, 12 miles west of Boston, it costs nearly $70,000 to become a member at the country club, not including monthly dues of $1000, plus the green fees to play golf! Combined with the hefty prices to eat there, it's safe to assume, members are dropping well over $100k a year.  (By way of contrast, the country club near me in the burbs just sent a mailer today, inviting us to join for $49 per year, without green fees!) 

I only say this to set the stage for the story I want to share about the founder of the college, Roger W. Babson. This engineer from MIT authored more than 40 books, directed corporations, and even ran for president against Franklin Roosevelt in 1940.  He was inventive, industrious, and highly successful in the eyes of the world. 

He was also a man of faith and respectable standards. Some of his sayings were actually carved in stone as a lasting memorial to his practical wisdom. One such engraving reads, “If something goes wrong, don’t go with it.” 

In 1947, the college erected a large metal globe on campus, weighing 25 tons.  It stood about 30’ tall and represented Babson’s vision. For decades it was the largest rotating replica of the Earth in the world. 

I remember walking up to it in front of one of the attractive buildings on campus, and discovering an old wooden sign posted at its base with the words of Jesus:

For what shall it profit a man, 

if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 

Mark 8:36

Standing there looking up, the globe seemed bright and alluring against the sky, but the humble wooden sign showed signs of aging and neglect down on the ground. The wood itself reminded me of the character of Christ, born in a manger, and of the wooden cross He bore on his own back for us all. Such a contrast to the shiny metal, like all that glitters in the world! 

Roger Babson posted this sign right there in front of the enormous spinning globe as a reminder to all who would pass by, that no matter what we acquire or what we pursue in this life, there is something greater to be considered. The words of Jesus whisper gently, Don’t lose your soul. 

True profit is eternal. This world offers a lot of glitter and gold, but that’s not what truly matters. It is only what we attain in wisdom that will matter when we reach our eternal home.  

I wish I took a picture of it, but I never did. I guess no one else did either. I scoured the Internet to no avail. Did we all just hurry by to work or class and make no effort to preserve it? During the years I worked there, it was sad to see the sign with these timeless words slowly rotting in New England’s hard cold winters. 

By way of contrast, the metal globe kept gleaming. Staff and students from over 100 nations viewed it as a message of inclusion, diversity, and an inspiration to dream of success. 

The rotting plank with Jesus’ words highlighted the fact that spiritual goals were not the priority in the minds of the leaders at the #1 business school in the country 22 years in a row. When the college voted to remove the old plank and not replace it, another message emerged.

One publication even redefined the purpose of that monument. "To reflect on Roger Babson’s original dream that the Globe would impress upon students an appreciation of the world as a whole.”  Without seeing Jesus' words of warning, they completely misconstrued Babson's original message. This was not the "original dream" at all!

Since then, they replaced the globe with a newer more authentic looking 3D image of the world at the cost of over $100,000. It was unveiled at the school’s centennial celebrations with great pomp and adulation. 

The eternal wisdom of the words of our Lord Yeshua weren’t missed.  Very few remember that the words were ever there. However, Babson grads continue to take the world by force, starting companies like Toyota, Home Depot, and Gerber Baby Foods,  amassing great fortunes. I can’t help but wonder how many of them will come to the end of the road and wish they had known the timeless words of the Messiah.

What good is it if you gain the whole world, but lose your soul?

The sign is long gone, but the words still stand. As Jesus said, not one tiny letter will pass away as long as heaven and earth remain! (Mt 5:18)  When we finish our time on this spinning globe, we will stand before Him. Hopefully, our souls will not be lost in the effort to gain what we cannot keep. 

Whether you live in prestigious communities or out in the burbs, I pray you will be fully welcomed as a member, not of some club, but of the  eternal Kingdom of the God of heaven and earth!

Keep everything in perspective my friends. Life is more than physical things, and its value is more than all this world can offer. Amen?

THE STORY OF SHALOM

When I visited Israel years ago, I was impressed by the incredible significance and the lessons to be learned everywhere we went! The names of gates, cities, streets…  the walls, the mountains, even the rocks cry out with the eternal story and link us to our Creator. I was compelled to pick up little rocks everywhere we went, as though I needed to preserve and savor every connection to the Holy Land. 

That same sense of wonder is aroused as I study the word of God and learn the lovely language of Israel. I’m in love with the Hebrew alphabet! Or, I should say, the aleph-bet! In Hebrew, unlike any other language, every letter has a story, a meaning, even a numeric value—and every jot and tittle has significance! I LOVE THAT!

This morning I woke up meditating on the word ‘shalom.’ I pictured it written in Hebrew with the lovely shapes of the letters, and started taking them one by one, thinking about what each letter teaches.

Isn’t it beautiful? Shin, lamed, vav, mem. I just went into my photoshop and added the little dots, called niqqud, over the right branch of the shin and the upper left of the vav. 

Let’s go letter by letter… 

1. First, the shin, on the far right, resembles a menorah like the one used in the tabernacle. It burned with oil and the fire was never to go out. Remember, God said He is a consuming fire and we know He never slumbers or sleeps. Yahovah watches over His people day and night. So, the menorah symbolizes Yeshua who said, “I am the light of the world.” He came down to show us the way and guide us to the Father of lights. 

This lovely letter is actually pronounced, “sh,” just like you were hushing a baby and rocking him to sleep. Whenever you’re feeling anxious or worried, imagine the Lord of Creation holding you in his arms and whispering, “Shhh, I got you! I AM your defender and protector who never sleeps. I see everything clearly and always, always know the way! In my presence there is no darkness. So, you can rest in Me.” 

2. Second, the lamed, the 12th letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet, and the one that clearly looms high above every other letter. It is right in the middle, at the heart of the whole list of 23 letters, and because it is the highest, it is said to represent the King of Kings. 

This idea is even more developed by its neighboring letters on each side of it. Interestingly, on the one side the preceding letter represents the throne of glory and the other side is the mem, which represents malkut, the kingdom. When these three letters are put together, they spell the word Melekh, which means king. Surprise! Yeshua is right there, standing, leading, sovereign and powerful, watching over you! 

מֶלֶךְ

If that’s not enough, the lamed is shaped like a shepherd’s staff. So add this letter to the first one and you already have an incredible message:  “Shhh, I got you! I know the way and I will guide you as a shepherd guides his precious lamb. Follow me. I AM King of the Universe!”

3. We’re already blessed and we’re only half-way through the word! Now we come to the incredible humble vav. It is shaped like a tent peg and the very first time it is seen in the Torah is in the very first sentence. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The vav is the 6th word of the Torah and literally connects the heavens and the earth in this first sentence of the entire Bible.

.רֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץבְּ

The tent peg also reminds us of the silver pegs in the Tabernacle that bound the curtains in the place where God would meet and dwell with us. Of course, tent peg also points to the large stakes that literally pinned Yeshua to the cross. Truly, this is where heaven came down and made a way for the sons of Adam to be accepted in heavenlies. By accepting those nails into his own flesh, He established peace with God on our behalf. He PAID it all! 

So the lovely little vav seems to whisper a reminder that heaven has come down, and His presence is promised. He has said, “I AM Yahovah your God. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Trust in God; trust also in me. I am with you always. I will hold your life in my nail-pierced hands.  I bind you to me FOREVER!” 

4. Last but not least, the mem. Centuries ago it was first written to resemble waves, up and down three times, because the Hebrew word for water is mayim. What a great illustration of the Torah, God’s Word, as a fountain of wisdom for all who find it. And again, “whoever drinks the water I will give him will never thirst again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life!” (Jn 4:14)  

Remember the time Messiah stood up on the last day of the feast called Hoshana Rabbah, and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!” (Jn 7:37-38) 

The passage goes on to describe how this living water referred to the Holy Spirit that was yet to be sent. Is there any better way to have peace than by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit in our lives?
So, to wrap it up, isn’t it beautiful how the very letters of the word shalom instruct us?

Let's sum it up... 

It begins with a message about the unending fire of God, the light of the world, wrapping His arms around us as a Father holding His child and shushing us to calm our fears. We are held by the all-seeing Father of lights!

Then, we are gently reminded that He is King of the Universe, still on the throne. He has risen up above anything that would threaten to undo us. He is our living Shepherd. Nothing can separate us from His great love and no one is more powerful!

He is bound to us just as Yeshua bound himself to the cross to prove the extent of his love and bring us the promise of heaven. We are secure!

He gave us everything we need in unending supply, including living water, a fountain of life bubbling up. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer and gives unlimited wisdom, unending comfort, and HIS incredible peace! Do not fear!

No matter where you are and no matter what you’re facing, remember what Jesus said: 

“My peace I give to you. 
Not like the world gives, give I to you. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

SHALOM!

John14:27

Love or a Terrible Bondage?

The other day a dear friend asked with a pained expression on his face, “Why do you have to speak Hebrew? Doesn’t God understand English? Why do you have to keep the Law? And WHY do you have to keep the ancient holy days? Didn’t Christ die to free us from that bondage?”

  

Funny thing is, I was saying the same exact things just weeks before! Both of us had the same training in the same Bible college and missionary program. We had each been schooled in the same philosophy, which I now know has a name: Replacement Theology. In fact, we had both served the greater part of our adult lives overseas teaching these things! 

Now, here I am, speaking publicly and teaching what I’m learning (and UNlearning) to small groups! I can’t help it. I have to share what I believe to be the truth—even though I may have missed it for four decades. 

The answer to my friend's questions is pretty simple: I don’t have to. I get to! 

Let’s put it in context. 

A young man meets and falls in love with a beautiful woman. He is overjoyed when she accepts him and they are betrothed for life. Wow! 

He never thought he could be so happy. He’s walking on air! The sky looks bluer, and the grass greener than he ever imagined. He can’t wait to come home just to be with her. 

Suddenly, the thought crosses his mind—now he has to come up with something for Valentine’s Day! Birthdays and anniversaries! 

Oh dear! He has been burdened with a lifetime of celebrating and honoring his beautiful wife. Maybe she isn’t worth all that effort! What will it cost to get her favorite flowers and chocolates year after year to show her how much he loves her? 

Do you think he will suffocate with this awful burden, or will it be a delight to him to express his love at every occasion just to see her smile? Just to enjoy being with her! Wouldn’t it be a pleasure for him to spend special times in her presence? 

Shouldn’t it be? 

It is the same way with keeping the Sabbath and honoring the feasts of the Lord. 

The commandments are already in our hearts, perfectly within reach, and they are not burdensome. (Not my words, but God's in Deut 30:11-14 and also the brother of Jesus in I John 5:3.) 

They are a delight!  They express a relationship, a privileged connection to the One who loves you and gave Himself for you. 

God doesn’t force us to follow Him, but we get to. 

Do you want to be closer to God? Choose to honor Him in all your ways and follow all of His Word, and there is sure reward and depth of joy unlike anything this world can offer. 

As James said, 
“Draw near to Him 
and He will draw 
near to you.”