Frantically Fluttering

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

The hummingbird darted into our garage through the open doorway, and it quickly became obvious that the little bird was totally disoriented amidst a sea of freshly painted white walls and ceiling. As fast as it zoomed in one direction, it frantically turned and zipped in another looking for an escape. The bird's long, straight and very slender bill made it appear as if a quiver of arrows was being shot throughout the room. The hum made by its rapidly beating wings echoed all through the otherwise quiet, empty garage as it hovered in mid-air.

Backwards, forwards, up, down. My husband kept his eye on each movement the bird made matching its rapid, frenzied flight pattern with his characteristically steady, deliberate pace. With straw broom in hand, he gently worked at guiding the little hummer in the direction of the open doorway. At times the space between bird and man was all but nothing that my husband could see its tiny chest throbbing from its rapid heartbeat.

After what seemed an eternity, the bird finally caught sight of the way out and it whizzed out the door's opening as swiftly as it had entered. We cheered as we watched our freed captive soar into the open air. And then we stared in horror as we followed its tiny body plummet from the sky.

Concluding that the strain of its release had simply been too much for the little guy, my husband slowly walked across our neighbor's yard to where it lay on the ground. Kneeling down next to the bird, he reached out his hand to touch the white tips of its rounded tail feathers. Suddenly, the bird perked up and flew off once more.

Too many times I'm like that little hummingbird--anxious, frazzled and afraid of what might happen next. Caught up in a sea of emotion, I flit in one direction and flutter in another. I bump my head against the proverbial brick wall, even to the point of exhaustion, before dropping to my knees and asking for help. Still God is faithful.

"The eyes of the Lord are everywhere" (Proverbs 15:3) and nothing escapes His attention. That includes you and me, dear friend. Jesus said, "Even the very hairs of your head are numbered" (Matthew 10:30). When we ask Him for help, God's response is always based on His perfect knowledge of us and our situation.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:6-7). My friend, let's trust Him with our anxious concerns.

Blessings, dear friend.
Faithfully Following

Shore up the low points

Therefore, I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows."
Nehemiah 4:13 (NIV)

Throughout its history, ancient Israel's obedience to God led to blessing and disobedience led to trouble. When the kings of Israel and Judah failed to live up to the kingship covenant that was made with David, God declared through His prophets that He would judge His people's faithlessness.

Consequently, after centuries of repeated disobedience, the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrians (722 B.C.), and Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians and the southern kingdom of Judah taken into exile in Babylon (587 B.C.). In His mercy, however, God declared that after He judged His people, He would bring them back.

And so it went. The Babylonian Empire was eventually overthrown by Cyrus, king of Persia in 539 B.C. Through the Persian rulers, God brought favor to His people and the exiles not only were allowed to return home but encouraged to practice their own religion. The Jews could at last restore their temple at Jerusalem; work that was completed in 516 B.C.

Fast forward circa 445 B.C. Despite several abortive attempts to construct Jerusalem's city walls, they remained in ruins. (Ezra 4:7-23) Without protective walls the city was vulnerable to numerous enemies. When word reached Nehemiah, who was living away in Babylonia, about the sorry plight of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, the royal cupbearer to king Artaxerxes was distressed at the news. He prayed to God about the situation. Convicted that God wanted him to ask the king if he might be released from his post and be given authority to go to Jerusalem and organize the rebuilding of the city walls, Nehemiah prayed that Artaxerxes' heart might be favorably disposed toward him. God answered his prayer, the king consented, and Nehemiah set out on the 1,100 mile journey home.

Upon arrival in Jerusalem, Nehemiah made a personal inspection of the city and organized the project. He found the people willing to work; and with his dynamic leadership, people of all sorts--priests, perfumers, goldsmiths and merchants--joined together in the rebuilding. Nonetheless, they faced first ridicule and then blackmail, intimidation and threats from powerful opponents.

Nehemiah's reply to the opposition was prayer and faith, plus practical action: "we prayed...and set a guard...Remember the Lord...and fight." (Nehemiah 4:1-20) His unshakable confidence came from the certainty that "our God will fight for us." A practical man, an organizer and leader, a man of courage, determination and deep spiritual resources to draw on, it took just 52 days, despite all opposition, to build 1.5 miles of wall.

Some days, exhausted and anxious because I've been pushed to my limits, I feel weary clear down to the marrow of my bones. My nerves are shot, my emotions vulnerable; I wonder whether I will ever accomplish anything of value.

It's at those moments that I station my Help at my exposed places. Taking up the Sword, which is the Word of God, I remember the Lord who is great and awesome. And, determined to fight, I dig deep into the spiritual resources of His Truth and declare my longing to remain faithful to what He has called me to.

What trouble do you face today, dear friend? Are you challenged with a difficult decision, hurting from a broken relationship, or drained by a rebellious child? Are you burdened with financial matters, concerned about a health issue, or fretting at the days ahead?

My friend, God answers prayer. He protects those who trust Him. His means of deliverance are never exhausted.

Blessings, dear friend.
Faithfully Following

Intercede

Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Romans 8:34b

Given the billions of people who live on earth at this moment, plus all who have gone before and all who are still to come, it is mind-boggling that all of these at the same time are in the conscious mind of God.

That thought is included in a 2010 Lenten Devotions that I'm currently reading. The writer, Rev. Clark Gies, Director of Discipleship at Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots U.S., calls this belief a divine mystery. He goes on to say, "And this we also know and believe, that Jesus, Our High Priest, even now is in the heavens, making intercession for you and for me." The morning I read Rev. Gies' material, I didn't realize how his words would play a role in my day.

Right on schedule my cell phone's unique ringtone signaled my daughter's morning phone call. I picked up the phone from where it lay on my desk, pushed talk, and greeted her cheerfully, "Good morning, sunshine. What's happening in your world today?"

Between heavy sobs, my precious college junior responded in broken phrases, "I just know I'm going to fail my exam today. I think I'm having a panic attack. Oh, mom. I just know I'm going to blow this test."

Man. Parenting a young adult is tough. Parenting a young adult at a distance is even harder. Parenting a young female adult living away at college...well, you get the idea. On top of all that, in this particular case I suspected my daughter was in her vehicle somewhere between her apartment and the college campus.

"Sweetheart, I want you to hear my words," I gently coaxed. Pausing for a second to confirm she heard me, I began interceding in prayer to the God of the universe on my daughter's behalf. When we ended our conversation a few minutes later, I still heard her muffled whimpers as our cell phones disconnected. Concerned, I rolled the office chair that I sat in away from my desk, bowed my head, and prayed again.

In What Happens When Women Pray, Evelyn Christenson tells of the time her church's custodian struggled to vacuum their auditorium. Finishing the project dripping with perspiration, the dear man realized he didn't have the vacuum's electrical cord plugged in an outlet! Christenson writes, "We work, we pull, we struggle, and we plan until we're utterly exhausted, but we have forgotten to plug into the source of the power. At that source of power is prayer--the 'effectual, fervent prayer' of a righteous person that avails much."

We must never underestimate the value of praying with or on behalf of others. The right hand of God is the place of authority and honor. Christ is still at the right of God today, interceding for us. Added to that, we have His promise that He will be with us, "for where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20).

God was very gracious to my daughter. Later in the day, I received a text message from her that read, "I did so good on my test!!!!!" Now, that's the kind of note a mother loves to receive long distance!

Friend, "the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:6b). I pray you plug into that power today!

Blessings, dear friend.
Faithfully Following

It's all in the position

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:6-7

“Overwhelmed, stressed out, and on my knees looking up,” tumbled out of my mouth before I even gave much thought to my co-worker’s question as to how things were going.

Our sixth move was particularly hard for me. Physically separated from my husband for nine months as he began a new job, I wrestled with disappointment at leaving our son behind to finish his senior year in college. Between making plans for our daughter’s high school graduation and visiting various college campuses, I juggled the sale of a house in one state while attempting to negotiate at a distance the purchase of another in our new location. I loved my full-time job. Although it was very demanding, I knew I would soon be leaving it; and I worked hard at not adopting a short-timer’s mentality. Thoughts of giving up a wonderful church family were also weighing on my heart.

If this wasn’t enough, my daddy was struggling with Alzheimer’s disease at the time, and self-imposed guilt about not living closer to my family to help care for him did not help. Why in the world I chose to begin a weight-loss program at this point in my life is beyond me!

Are you familiar with Lladro from Spain figurines? If so, I’m sure you recognize the beauty of these pieces crafted from the finest quality examples of art in porcelain. Artists start a new idea or theme of a figurine and draftsmen and sculptors use their talents making each design come to life.

Through a careful expression of style and use of soft, bluish tones, individually-designed pieces portray messages appreciated by people from all walks of life. Where a Santa Claus figurine stands ready for delivery with list in one hand and bag of goodies in the other, the relaxing pose of a little girl dressed in a mouse costume gives Restful Mouse an appearance of peace and tranquility. Nina Communion is one of my favorite figurines. Kneeling, deep in prayer, with a serene facial expression, the image comes alive modeling a tender, reverent heart.

In the short New Testament book of 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter has a lot to say about Christian life and duties. Peter speaks of suffering, pilgrimage, courage, and hope; and he says he has written “encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God” (1 Peter 5:12). The Apostle urges us in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast all our anxieties on God because He cares for us. In the verse prior, he also tells us the position we should assume and why. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand,” Peter writes. Why? That in due time, He may lift us up.

Are stresses in your life swallowing up your energy? Are you feeling pressured by everything that's happening around you?

God’s grace is abundant (John 1:16; 2 Corinthians 12:8-10). Humility and humbleness of heart before Him are sure routes to His blessings (Proverbs 3:34). May we have calloused knees and the tips of our shoes worn as we come before Him overwhelmed, stressed out, and on our knees looking up.

Blessings, my friend.

Faithfully Following