26 | Be Rooted

In my midwestern corner of the world, we are all going gaga over the fall foliage. The maples have blazed up in brilliance.  The birch have witnessed a golden glory. And even the oaks have peaked in deep auburn and chestnut hues.  Each tree is majestic in it's crowning colors.

But today, in our stillness, I'm not going to wax poetic on autumn leaves.  Their blaze is amazing, but temporary.  Today we are going to turn our attention to what makes this short-lived show possible.  We are going to get down to the root of the matter: the roots.

For all the beauty we see above ground, trees replicate their span and shape below ground in their network of roots.  If a tree's visible crown overshadows its root system, it becomes weak and vulnerable.

www.landscapinggallery.info

That's why today, while the whole neighborhood was out raking and mulching and piling and bagging leaves, many were also turning attention to getting the trees through the dry fall and the frozen winter.  Long trickling drinks of water nursed the underground growth of both young and mature specimens.  Thirsty trees can't be flooded quick — they need slow drips, a drink that runs deep.

Our faith lives are not so different from these towering plants.  Our outward acts of faith get the reaction.  When we serve as God's hands and feet, voice and love in the world, we reflect the amazing hues of who he is.  But these acts fall and fade away. They will be replaced with new labors, new favors.  And the cycle will repeat.  It's not our acts that sustain our faith — it's God's grace, and our belief in that grace and prayers for that grace.  It's what the Holy Spirit does quietly, invisibly beneath the surface.  And so we nurture our roots, our relationship God.  

Which, most likely, is exactly why you've stopped by today: to be still, to grow deep down into God.

When we are still, when we quiet our minds and our hearts, we make room for the seeds God sows.  We invite God to grow into our lives.  But if we get distracted in our days, if our busyness crowds out our connectedness to the Lord, the living word can't build stable roots to sustain us.

Sometimes this sneaks up on me in strange ways.  Here I am, 26 days into daily meditating and writing about being still, about nurturing our relationship with God, yet I'm feeling... well...  a bit distant from my Heavenly Father.  How can that be?

It's like the posts I've been sending forth are falling and fading into dull browns and tired tans.  It's been a glorious month of sharing God's peace and connecting with you all.  But it's been so outward and visible.  I've been focusing more on external expression than invisible, interior depth.  I'm looking forward to November. I'm needing more of the stillness where my voice is silent and God's voice is strong.

Do you ever find yourself in this place?  Your ministry might be nurturing your family, fulfilling your professional work in a faith-filled way, reaching out to your community as God's hands and feet and hugs and service.  And you find yourself loving what God is doing through you, yet drifting all the same?

Let's lift this up to our Lord.  Won't you please pray with me?

Lord,

Today I want to stretch my roots deep into your grace and peace.  Help me to focus solely on our relationship.  Be with me as I drink deep and slow from the well of your word, your will, your way.

You've given us this powerful parable of the farmer sowing his seed.

"As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root...  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Matthew 13:4-8

I know that our quiet time together is that good soil.  Being still with you on a frequent basis provides rich fodder for your Holy Spirit to grow deep in my soul. Remind me to savor your word with meditation and prayer.  I want to receive the seeds of your good news with rich and welcoming soil.  I want to produce a crop of your loving kindness that feeds everyone in my midst.

I know that you can do this in me, in all who ask you to build a deep and healthy root system in their faith.  Just as Paul prayed over the Ephesians (3:16-19), I similarly pray that you might strengthen my inner being through your Spirit, so you may dwell in my heart.  And I ask that you continually remind me that I am rooted and established in your love.  I pray that you will give me the power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is your love, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that I may be filled to the greatest possible measure with your heavenly fullness.  Lord, make this drinking up with your fullness is my biggest thirst, my most important priority, in all that I do.

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I eagerly look forward to the fruit of this deep root system that continually reaches for your strength and sustenance, Lord.  When I build my life on you, you grant me strength to get through the dry spells and cold snaps, you help me to overflow with thankfulness.  You insure that I am not weak to the power of temptation or negligent in our relationship.  My roots hold me firm in your way and your will.

The greatest blessing of this root system entwined in you, Lord, is that it continually holds me up.  It reminds me that I belong to you, my heavenly Father, King eternal. The winds and storms of this world may blow, but they cannot move you.  And they can do little more than rustle my leaves and bend my branches when I am rooted in you.  Thank you for naming and claiming me as your own child, for building me up in your amazing grace.  

Amen.

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14 | Be Faithful

My apologies to those born after 1983.  The references in today's post to record players and old fashioned stereos will make very little sense unless you YouTube "prehistoric entertainment machines."  (Do you still YouTube?)  Consider it my invitation to get in touch with the older generation. ;') 

I don't know about you, but I typically feel pretty faithful.  Until I realize I'm not.

I'll be moseying along, doing my most-days Bible reading thing, praying here and there and everywhere, working on being still with God.  I'll be saying "show me the way, Lord," and "lead me to where you need me."  Checking all those spiritual practice and faith walk-the-talk boxes.

Then a project will stall.  An event will have a low turnout.  Or responses will be less than enthusiastic.

The soundtrack in my head plays that scritcccchheekkkccchk of the record player needle scratching over the vinyl.  

And, inevitably, because I'm flawed and human and slow, I look up at God and say, "What gives?  I thought you wanted this too?  What's up with this thing that feels like failure?"

Huh.  Not a lot of faith happening there.

In fact, I think that's pretty much what God must be saying when I pull that "What gives?" routine.

So, when I'm done pouting and picking holes in my efforts and questioning the whole purpose of what I was trying to do, I take a deep breath.  I just work on being still.  I twiddle the tuner buttons until I'm back on the God channel.  I rest and wait and listen until that feeling of failure fades to something that looks a lot more like faith.

I had to do exactly that today.  We had a spiritual practices open house of sorts in our church's chapel. Two hours for people enter into the stillness and enjoy some quiet meditation, some soft and spiritual music, and a little Lectio Divina.  Aside from a most gracious and talented musician and myself, one person stopped by.  

Now I had prayed about this and Facebook-ed and emailed about this, then I talked-it-up and prayed some more and added an extra layer of prayer, with whipped cream and a cherry on top.  I was pretty sure I covered all the bases.

So why just one person in the pews?

Is it because I didn't have enough faith?  Not even a mustard seed morsel?

everyday.Godinspires.me

Maybe it's because I expected a different mountain to move.  I wasn't looking in the right place for the action and the answered prayers.  My eyes were fixed on what was seen: empty pews.

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What God reminded me, through remembered words from last week's conversation with a colleague, was that some results are not seen.  If one or two people show up, that might look like a disappointing turnout.  But God brought those people exactly where they needed to be, and that is complete victory.  And those other people? The ones who didn't make it?  Perhaps they were exactly where they needed to be, doing a different kind of work for God.  And maybe, most likely, new traditions need time to build and grow and blossom.

Today in our chapel we created something beautiful: hushed stillness in the midst of a busy city.  Sunlight streaming through stained glass.  Grace-filled guitar notes and a beautiful voice, lifting up lyrics of praise and prayer.  I got to pray for two hours — about worries and work and next steps for our quiet chapel time — prayers that I definitely needed to lift up and let go.  And I got to listen, really listen for God in the music and the quiet and the creaking of old floorboards — which is what I needed even more.

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I figure at least 99% of God's incredible work is unseen by human eyes.  I can't begin to comprehend how he works.  And I certainly don't understand his timing. That's where faith comes in.

When we don't get the answer we want or expect, faith helps us to be still.  It helps us to switch from our expectations to God's vision, from what is seen to what is unseen.  It builds a bridge from disappointment to hope to trust.  It gives us patience to wait and to just be still as God continues his work in us and around us.

Let's pause here a moment and pray for the stillness and patience that faithfulness can provide.

chattingatthesky.com

Lord,

You are so very faithful with me.  When my own faith wavers, you lead me to be still, to find strength in you.  When I am impatient and impudent, you hear me out and lead me to deeper understanding.  When I am near-sighted, you help me to see your vision.  When I am out of ideas, you bring new ones out of the uncertainty and into focus.  When I stop my planning and turn to praying, you always provide.

via Pinterest

Help me to be faithful as I follow you.  Help me to trust in my steps as I leave my current path and seek out your better way.  I know my steps will falter.  But I know more truly that you will carry me through my clumsy stumbles and falls.  Thank you for patching the holes in my faith, for making my trust whole.

Lord, switch my focus from the seen to the unseen, from the earthly measures to the heavenly motions.  Be my vision, my faith-filled vision.  Be my understanding.  Be my strength and patience and perseverance.  And when these gifts come slowly, help me to be still and wait for them to catch up with me and guide me.

For faith makes everything fall into place.  When my faith in you is strong, I have hope.  I have peace.  I have joy.  Thank you for these fruits of faith, Lord, for the fruit of your Holy Spirit.  Thank you for taking my hand, for leading me on, and for helping me stand firm in my faith.

Amen.



More motivation for when you need faith...

Lysa TerKeurst always inspires me when I falter.

Busting out of a Prayer Rut

Does your family ever get stuck in a prayer rut?

Ours sounds like this...

"Dear God, thanks for legos..." "...and cookies..." "...and our dog..." "...and my best friend..." "...and cookies..." 
"Hey!  I already said that!"
"Well I can say it too!"
"Can not!!"
"Alrighty then, there goes family prayer time.  Off to bed you little cretins, before I really give you something to pray about!"

Not exactly what God was hoping to hear.

Sometimes our family prayer rut gets so deep and disappointing that we take a break from it for awhile.  Then, weeks later, I think to ask, "Hey, kiddos, you're praying to God on your own, right?"

Silence.  

Whoops.

That's not what God was hoping to hear, either.

So... how do we get out of the prayer vacuum or prayer rut this Lenten season?

Here are a few ideas for you and your family.

Lenten Prayer Chain

from Mustard Seeds — a great blog about building kids' faith

You've probably done a few count-down paper chains in your lifetime.  This is more of a count-up chain.

Each day during Lent take a minute as a family to individually write a prayer on a strip of colorful construction paper (8.5" x 1.5" is a nice size for jotting down a quick note to God).  Staple the first strip in a circle.  Subsequent strips slide through the previous circle, then formed into a circle and stapled.  (You probably didn't need that much direction, but there it is.  Just in case.)

Throughout the 40 days of Lent, watch your prayers grow.  Estimate how many prayers it would take for the chain to reach heaven.  (This is a trick question.  Do you know the answer?)

There is no rule that you can only write one prayer a day.  Except for maybe you have to cut your own extra strips.

You might have a few prayer prompts on hand to encourage your kids to think of different kinds of prayers.  

Dear God, 

• thanks for...
• I need help with...
• I am so glad that...
• I wonder about...
• I'm scared of...
• please take care of...

print me!

Hey, maybe I should just whip up a quick printable of those prayer prompts.  Here you go!!

On Easter you might disassemble the chain and review the prayers.  Which ones has God already answered or started to work on?  Give him big thanks!!

Alternatives to a prayer chain include writing prayers on slips of paper and hanging them

Modern Parents, Messy Kids

from a tree, mantle, or chandelier.  Egg-shaped or cross-shaped slips of paper would be cute, if you can stand cutting them all out, or if you can get your hands on a nifty large paper punch, or if you have some Martha Stewart- esque minions on hand!

Lenten Journal

from Stone Soup for Five — brilliant Bible journaling ideas!

After dinner each night, or as part of the bedtime routine, or once a week on Sundays after church (or, really, any convenient time of day for your brood), take 10-15 minutes for a Bible reading & response routine.  If you like, capitalize it to sound really important.  Like this: Bible Reading & Response Routine.  Or turn it into an acronym: BRRR.  Hey kids, it's time to BRRR!

Back to business.  

To create a reverent mood, play soothing music in the background or light a candle.  Provide each family member with a small journal or notebook.  As a family read a Bible verse aloud.  Then quietly write (or illustrate) a response to God.  What did you hear God saying to you in the verse?  What words or phrases seem most important in your own life?  Can you use those words from the Bible in your own prayer?  

You might use these questions as journal prompts:

"I hear you, God, saying..."
"Hear me saying, God..."

Kids will probably need to see some examples of turning scripture into prayer.  Here's a model you can share.  Your own examples will be powerful as well.

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."   Matthew 16:24

The words that stick out for me are highlighted here:

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

You can see how those words become a part of my written prayer below:

Jesus, I do want to follow you.  My heart and soul want to, but my actions don't always match those of one of your followers.  It is so hard to deny myself.  Will you please help me to look beyond my own interests and needs, and look up to you instead?  I'm not sure exactly what my cross is.  I guess it is my burden, the things that wear me out and drag me down.  It could be the things that get in the way of my relationship with you.  Please help me to figure out what my cross is, to take it up and carry it so I can do a better job of following your example of how to live a life of loving others.

Here are several Easter verses for your BRRR sessions, in no particular order:

John 19:1-3 • John 19:28-30 • John 10:10-11 • Luke 23:27 • Psalms 34:8 • John 3:16 • Isaiah 1:18 • John 3:1-3 • Matthew 27:57-60 • Matthew 27:65-66 • John 16:20, 22 • Matthew 28:1-9

What I love about both of these activities is they force us to slow down our prayers, to capture them on paper.  As a result, we become more reverent and thoughtful in our conversations with God.  And with a paper trail, we can also look back and see how God works on our prayers, even when we weren't paying attention.  

Lord,

You are so very good to us.  Thank you for patiently listening to every prayer.  Thank you for patiently waiting during our prayer droughts and prayer ruts.  And thank you for continually filling us with your Holy Spirit and your Living Word to bring our prayers to a place of deeper conversation with you.  Help us to model a faithful and dedicated prayer habit for our children during this Lenten season and well beyond. 

Amen

Frame & Focus

One of my "when I grow up" day dreams is to be a fabulously artsy photographer.  You know the kind: her every snapshot is elegantly composed, beautifully lit, suffused with story.  In this Instagram, camera-phone-at-the-ready, my delusions are all the more dangerous.
 
So here I am, with a kabillion (truly, I counted) lame pictures, cluttering up the digital cloud. 

But every once in a magic moment, I manage to frame the scene and focus on the subject and capture the moment's beauty.  I cannot credit skill or an artistic eye or educated experience... It is simply persistence that pays off.  How I love that digital photography makes persistence — snapping hundreds and kabillions of photos — possible.

What can I say?  I like to frame, to focus, to train my eye and brain to capture things as I hope to always see them.

Which is why I love January: a lovely month for framing our lives and focusing our minds' eyes on capturing our best selves.  

For me, January is not about resolutions (self control is the most elusive fruit of the Spirit for this gal); it is about focusing my sights, my soul, on one word.  Last year my anchor word, my guiding principal, was "light."  This year, after many prayers, I am framing my decisions and focusing my vision on the "present."

I want to live in the present moment, to be truly present and engaged with my Mister and my kids, my family and friends — conscientiously unplugging from life-sucking electronic, household, and ego-centric distractions and consciously plugging into life-giving relationships.

I want to be mindful of and grateful for God's presents: the gift of Jesus and his love, grace, and salvation; the gifts of the Spirit (may self-control be ever more prevalent); the gifts and talents has has bestowed on me (and may I employ them for his glory); the gifts he blesses me with every day (family, friends, home, church, chocolate and wine — okay, maybe not EVERY day).

I want to fill myself up with God's presence.  (Okay, I know what you're thinking: that's not technically the same word.  I'm exercising a poetic license loophole.)  More time in his word (see my anal 2013 Bible Reading Plan), more time in prayer, more time in devotional reading and writing.  More time to be still, to rest in the peace of knowing God. 

I want to pour out God's presence, to tune in to God and hear clearly how he wants to work through me in my little corner of the world.  How can I serve him and those in need?  How can I be God's hands and feet; how can I share his word?  How can I be the humble jar of clay pouring out his rejuvenating Spirit? 

This is how I hope to frame my days and my year.  This is how I want to focus my thoughts and decisions.  I know there will be days when I forget to be present, in his presence, enjoying his presents.  I will clutter the spiritual album of 2013 with lame attempts and imperfect images.  But I know that God will help me to persist.  When I forget and fall short, he will remind me with a word, he will focus my blurred vision and frame my perspective with his forgiveness and grace and love.  He will use this simple anchor word to help me be my best, to glorify the best in him.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33

I pray God helps you to find your focus to frame this bright-shiny-new year.  May it be so very full of his presence and his presents for you.