Wondering What to Wear?

Consider the lilies of the field . . .

Both photos were taken with an iPhone 5, in my yard, today.

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My Playground Prayer

My youngest granddaughter said, “Higher! Higher!” I pushed the swing hard. She grinned and repeated, “Higher! Higher!”

Her sister pumped her legs and flew.

I want to go higher too Lord. I want to be more than I am, possess things I don’t have, and impact the whole world.

As I continued to watch the girls soar, I sensed God saying, “Go lower.”

Really? Less of me and more of you? Replace my desires with yours? Be like you?

The girls ran from the swings to the see-saw. As one went down, the other sprang up.

I see Lord. Help me lower myself that you might be lifted high.

John 3:30 reads: He must increase, but I must decrease.

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No Laughing Matter: A Confession

The Bible passage I read six days ago wasn’t new to me. It may have been the first time I saw myself in the story though.

I wish I’d seen my character in prayerful Hannah, Virtuous Val, righteous Elizabeth, or the favored mother of Jesus. I didn’t.

The passage I read was Genesis 18:1-15. Sarah, inside a tent, followed her husband’s request. She made bread for their guests.

I make bread for my guests.

Sarah’s hands were busy but her ears were attuned. With no crying babies, giggling toddlers, or rambunctious teenagers to look after, Sarah kneaded dough in silence.

The words spoken outside the tent were clear: “Next year, your wife, Sarah will have a son!”

She laughed.

I probably would’ve too.

 “How could a worn-out woman, with an old husband, have children?”

I answered Sarah’s logical question. She can’t.

When Sarah gazed at her childbearing friends, her body looked nothing like theirs. Sarah’s tears and cycle ended long before she heard those ridiculous words.

Then came a bigger jolt.

“Why laugh? Is anything too hard for the LORD?”

Sarah denied her laughter. I heard mine.

Wounds reopened, the uncertain future frightened Sarah. She’d dreamed before, month after month.

I have unfulfilled desires.

Sarah swept the breadcrumbs and hope out of the tent. Again.

But she fixated on the question: “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”

It’s consuming my thoughts too.

There’s only one right answer: “No. Nothing is too hard for Him.”

I confess I’m like Sarah. Nearly every day I laugh at God’s promises. I don’t giggle but my reflex is often a scoff of disbelief.

Here are some examples.

• Psalm 37:4 says if I’ll delight in the LORD, He’ll give me the desires of my heart. My response is often, “Yea, right!”

• Psalm 139:14 tells me I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I look in the mirror, compare myself to friends, and chuckle, “Fearful at least!”

• John 15:7 invites me to ask for anything and it will be done. Too often, I don’t even ask.

What about you?

LORD God I want to trust your words. I know they’re true. Please forgive me for the many times I dismiss them with a snicker. Help me avoid impatience and comparisons. I want to keep my eyes and ears focused on You.

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2013 Arrived Without a Party

On New Year’s Eve my husband and I drove our Jeep 876 miles. When we finally stepped into the house my husband said, “I wish I felt like unloading the car.” Instead he climbed the stairs, took his temperature, and crawled into bed.

I moved our hanging clothes, suitcases, and Christmas gifts into the house and tossed dirty laundry into a pile.

We never voiced a Happy New Year greeting. But all day I’d silently assessed 2012 and pondered 2013.

What’s the best way to welcome a new year?

The same way you greet each day.

Of course, I wish my husband had been well. I would’ve enjoyed attending our friends’ annual party. But solitude and reflection escorted me into 2013.

And quiet time begins each day.

In the past I’ve used index cards, journals, colored pens, and a variety of Bible translations. This year I fine-tuned my approach to accommodate travel plans and compensate for my quirky personality.

Everything I need for my time alone with God is on my iPad. I’m accessing it before I get out of bed each morning. When I place my feet on the carpet I transform into Susie Homemaker. My cape just won’t let me slow down until my TeuxDeux list is conquered. I don’t want to end one day in 2013 with regret that I missed the most valuable part of my day.

The Apps I use are pictured below. First though, I read from The One Year Chronological Bible NLT in iBooks. I color code my highlights and make lots of notes. The Bible Gateway link is available in my QT file for further reading and study.

After I read, I pray. PrayerNotes is an easy way to keep up with requests and track answers. Then I open 1000 Gifts and record three things I’m thankful for.

My method isn’t elaborate or time-consuming. It simply helps me see 2013 as a Happy New Year and each new day as a purposeful gift.

What’s your plan? I’d like to celebrate it with you.

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Knitter or Knot?

I’m not a knitter.

Two years ago I told my daughter, “I don’t want to be a knitter. But I’d like to make baby hats for gifts.” Audri, an avid crafter, sent me a birthday package with everything I needed to knit baby hats, including a coupon for free knitting lessons via Skype.

Audri is a terrific instructor and the gift was a favorite. But soon I forgot I wasn’t a knitter. I knit Christmas stockings, toys, and hats

I had to remind myself I didn’t/don’t need something else to fill my time.

Knitting is fun, except when it’s not.

Not fun:

• When I drop a stitch.
• When the yarn is a huge, tangled mess.
• When I have to tink (knit backwards) and redo something.
• When neckwear doesn’t fit over my head.
• When I lose my place on a pattern.
• When I knit through time reserved for a priority.

During the past week I’ve been knitting. I encountered many not fun moments. The yarn was a hunk of knots. But knitting was the perfect activity while sick. It provided a sense of accomplishment while I coughed and rested. Thankfully loving family members took time to untangle my mess. (Thank you Randy and Karissa!)

As a non-knitter I’ve learned some things while knitting.

Routine knitting takes very little thought; it’s simply repetitive motion. But, at its’ worst or best depending on your perspective, knitting is challenging and complex. When problems are encountered, the knitter (or non-knitter if it’s me) needs to read the detail of the stitches to make corrections. During the undoing and redoing of stitches the intricate miracles of the woven fiber are revealed.

In my disappointment with the mess of my tangled yarn, I wondered that anything ever results from poking my sticks and looping my yarn. And yet, when I get an inside look at how knitting works, it’s amazing.

Isn’t life the same way?

When days flow smoothly, according to schedule, there’s a tendency to blindly miss the miracles: the treasure of relationships, the delight in efficient appliances and vehicles, and the comfort of a cough-free afternoon.

When weeks are filled with snarls we look closely, wish things were different, and often glimpse a fresh view of God’s handiwork.

God knits differently than I do. He is the Master. He doesn’t start a project and then set it aside. He doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t google search to see what to do next.

Every stitch of His project is placed with accuracy. Every loop that’s wrapped has purpose. When it looks like a mess to me, He’s faithfully stitching.

Does your life seem messed up? Look again.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.—Psalm 139:13-14, ESV

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