Ten thousand.

Ten thousand steps.  That’s how many steps a healthy adult should be taking each day.  At least that’s what my doctor told me.  And when she asked me if I was doing that, my reply was cautiously…um, negative.

Who am I kidding?  I hadn’t been counting, but I was quite sure that 10,000 steps were not a part of my daily routine.  Wouldn’t that be the equivalent of me walking from West Palm Beach to, say, Orlando?  Maybe I’m exaggerating, but still.  That’s a lot of steps.

So I bought myself a pedometer.  And it turns out I’m walking a whole lot more than I thought I was.  Without even trying, I found out that my normal workday includes about 5,000 steps.  Who knew?  Now I’m trying to figure out ways to add to that.  My pedometer actually does a little celebration flash when I hit a goal.  It’s the little things.

But I’m not the only one counting.

“Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps?”  (Job 31:4)

I’ve read verses before about God ordering our steps, God planning our steps, God watching our steps.  But now that I’m counting them for myself, I’m a whole lot more aware of what that means.  When my step-counting pedometer says I’ve taken 5,533 steps, it means God has been watching every one of them.  He saw where I was at step #143, and step #5129.  Every. Single. Step.

He upheld them.

He directed them.

He kept them from slipping.

Of course God is interested in my health and physical activity, but that’s not the main reason He’s watching my steps.  He knows that I need to be on the right path.  He knows that I’m prone to wander, to let my steps take me places that aren’t part of His plan.  He knows about the things that trip me up.  But He also knows that I really do want to be walking with Him in every step of every day.  And He’s using a pedometer to remind me to keep working on that.

I don’t know how many steps I’ll take today.  I’m already at 517.  But God knows.  And I’m glad He’ll be with me. Each step of the way.

Uphold my steps in Your paths,                                                                                             That my footsteps may not slip.  Psalm 17:5

LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps. Jeremiah 10:23

If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.  Psalm 94:18

I know. It’s been a while.  Life just gets wacky and busy and drama-filled sometimes.  And it gets mundane and non-eventful at other times.  Just the normal ebb and flow I suppose.

But I did manage to schedule a personal retreat this past weekend.

Oh, you’ve never been on one? Well they are just about my favorite thing to do.  Not at all like the crazy youth group retreats we used to go on, where there was little retreating and lots of activities, devotions on dating and relationships, games and food.  And a personal retreat is also nothing like those church women’s retreats where we sit around sipping coffee by a fireplace and talking about our emotions, or gathering in an arena to sing praise songs with 10,000 other ladies.

Nope, a personal retreat is just that.  Personal.  Nobody else but me and God.

Once I decide it’s time for one, I’ll find myself a nice hotel.  It doesn’t need to be expensive (Groupons help!), but it does need to have a good view, a desk and a comfy chair.  And it needs to be quiet.  My retreat this weekend was almost derailed by a rowdy wedding going on in the ballroom on the 4^th floor.  I was on the 5^th.  This did not make me happy.  Thank goodness for Carlos the very helpful desk clerk, who felt my pain and moved me to the 7^th floor. I told him I was there to work on something and needed quiet.  He probably thought I was writing a novel or putting together a business deal.  I decided it was better not to tell him I was there to meet God.  He might have given me a room with no window or balcony – or at least one on the first floor.

So there in the delightful quietness of Room 719, I retreated.  Even though I live alone, I still need to retreat – retreat from the distractions, the busyness, the things I need to do.  And from Netflix, which I have recently discovered and wondered how I lived without.

God and I had a good time.  I only had my Bible and my journal.  So I read some, wrote some and talked some.  I didn’t have an agenda, really.  I talked to God about things I needed clarity on, questions I needed (or thought I needed) answered, friends and family with special needs in their lives and other things that were weighing on my mind.  Really, though, I just needed to know I was on the right path.

I woke up the next morning and continued chatting with God.  And because of the time change in this part of the world, I even had an extra hour.  Bonus!  And because it was a Sunday, I didn’t just go home after checking out.  I went to church.  What a great way to end.

I can’t recommend these personal retreats enough.  There may be some who can’t imagine spending that much time alone, or that much time with just God.  It’s something I’ve gotten better at and something I truly look forward to.  I’m not married, but I know that couples need to get away alone every once in a while to re-group, to seek clarity, to be free of the distractions that can pull them apart.  And the same holds true for our relationship with God.  We can walk with Him on a daily basis, have our devotion time, pray and go to church.  But it’s the distraction-free, quiet and alone times that bring us closer.

Can’t afford the time or money to go away?  No problem.  Mini-retreats are great, too.  Have a cup of coffee with God.  Go for a ride in the car with Him.  Hike a trail with Him.  The goal is to be alone without other things vying for your attention.  A hotel is just my way of doing it.  Develop your own way to retreat.

And God will meet you there.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  James 4:8

But it is good for me to draw near to God;                                                                                 I have put my trust in the Lord GOD.  Psalm 73:28

In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.  Isaiah 30:15

Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.  Psalm 107:30

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.  Deuteronomy 4:29

 

 

Alternative, more wordy title: “How one small comment in a video sermon reminded me of the time an old Navajo man named Morris charged us $25 to see a dinosaur track in the middle of nowhere.”

But let’s stick with “Imprint”.

I was watching a video sermon yesterday about finding your purpose and passion in life.  The speaker said that when we’re living for the Lord and doing what we were called uniquely to do, we’ll leave our imprint on the world.  Not for our own glory or recognition, but for the name of Jesus.

And somehow, that small word “imprint” gave me an immediate visual memory of dinosaur tracks in the desert.  We took a road trip to the canyons region of the southwest USA a few years ago.  On the highway somewhere between canyons, we kept seeing billboards enticing us to stop and see the “Dinosaur Tracks”.  Why not?  We followed the signs, expecting to see a flashy tourist spot.  Instead, we saw a crudely hand-written sign on a piece of wood letting us know we were there.  And Morris, the toothless Navajo man, told us that for $25 (each) he would take us to see the tracks.

Sometimes you just know you’re being taken advantage of, but you’ve driven 30 miles out of your way, so you pay the $25.  He walked us way out in the middle of nowhere.  And then, there they were.  With the red sand brushed away, we saw these in the rock.

Morris told us it was an adult dinosaur track and a baby one.  It was actually pretty cool to see.  We took our pictures and drove on to our next destination.  And really, I haven’t thought about that side trip in years.  Until now.  Now, when the pastor in the video talked about leaving my imprint on my world.

Will people know that I’ve been here?  Will the imprint I leave in my little corner of the world reveal that I didn’t walk alone?  That I walked with God and made His name known?

The dinosaur tracks were literally in the middle of nowhere.  And maybe sometimes we feel like where God has placed us isn’t the flashiest of ministry areas.  But, what if we’re faithful to just do what we’re called to do and be who we’re called to be, and someday, after we’re gone, people will know that we were there because we left…an imprint?

Thanks, Morris.  Your $25 tour into the middle of the desert has reminded me years later that I need to leave tracks of my own.

They will proclaim my glory among the nations.  Isaiah 66:19

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

That you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.  1 Thessalonians 2:12

The desire of our soul is for Your name
And for the remembrance of You. Isaiah 26:8

I come from a pretty reserved lot.  Swedish/Swiss/German.  People groups not exactly known for their outbursts of enthusiasm.  Oh, and then add that I’m basically an introvert who nearly died the other day when my car horn got stuck ON in the middle of rush hour traffic.  Seriously, I was looking for a rock to hide under.  Rocks big enough for me and my car were in short supply on the busiest route out of West Palm Beach at 5:00pm.  I’ll do anything not to call attention to myself.

All that to say that when I came across a verse the other morning that talked about shouting joyfully, I was tempted to just write it off as a nice way to say we should be thankful that God is who He is.  Surely, there’s not supposed to be literal shouting.  Right?

And then I decided to really study it.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!                                                                                                         Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.                                                                               Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;                                                                               Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.   Psalm 95:1-2

To “shout joyfully”  comes from a Hebrew word that literally means to “give a ringing cry”.  “Jubilant shouting” was another definition, and then there was “raise a sound, cry out, give a blast”.

An introvert’s bad dream.   But on the other hand, even we introverts usually have no problem cheering for our favorite teams or giving a hearty round of applause for a great performance – maybe even a standing ovation.  Doesn’t God deserve at least that?

We may be settled in faith traditions where public displays of worship aren’t all that common.  And yet, maybe we need to shake things up a bit and not be so reserved in our gratitude and celebration of our God and King.  We’re told to shout!  Sing!  Cry out!  Be jubilant!

Don’t look for me to be dancing the aisles anytime too soon.  But I’ll be thinking about those Israelites and their shouts of joy a little more often when I read through the Psalms.   And if you do hear a shout, don’t panic.  It might just be an introvert who broke loose when they found their joy.

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;                                                                            Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;                                                                        Let those also who love Your name                                                                                                      Be joyful in You.  Psalm 5:1

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!                                                                                                Shout to God with the voice of triumph!  Psalm 47:1

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!                                                                                              Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!                                                                                                       Behold your King is coming to you!  Zechariah 9:9

There he was, careening down the New Jersey Turnpike at 70 miles an hour.  The force of the wind and passing cars and trucks tried unrelentingly to break his grip.  Every once in a while, he’d stretch out a leg, almost as if to just test the option of letting go completely.  But he thought better of that idea.  And in the end, he traveled 350 miles, clinging to the sideview mirror of my Honda.

It was a bug.  We think it was a baby katydid.  Bright green.  Long legs. Even longer “feelers” on the top of his head. He climbed onto the car in my mother’s driveway in New Jersey, and held on until we arrived in Chesapeake, Virginia six hours later.  I guess he wanted an adventure.

Now for any of you who know me, I am not a fan of bugs.  So the fact that I was fascinated by this little green insect for six hours is remarkable.  I found myself actually cheering him on instead of wishing I had a can of Raid or the back of a heavy shoe.

At one point I asked my sister and fellow traveler, “Do you think he’s freaking out?”.

I don’t know much about the brain activity or emotions of a katydid.  Chances are, they don’t have much of either.  But what I did figure out is that he was just doing what he was created to do.  Hang on.  I don’t think he was worried about how much longer the winds would try to pry his weird long legs off the mirror.  I don’t think he was concerned with where he was going or how much longer the trip would be or where he would end up.

He simply held on.

Have you ever found yourself careening down the roads of life, strong winds trying to break your hold, trying to tear you off of your fragile grip of security and safety?  And all you can do is hang on?

That’s exactly what we’re supposed to do.  Hang. On.  But while our tendency is to worry and fret and well, freak out, we need to be more like the traveling katydid.  Tighten our grip and trust that God is in control.  We need to trust that He knows the strength of the winds, the road ahead and the final destination.

The bug climbed off the car sometime during the night in the Chesapeake hotel parking lot.  I joked about him having a Jersey accent in a world of Southern ones.  And I imagined that as he slowly made his way off the mirror, he said calmly to himself, “Well now, that was quite an adventure.”

And that’s exactly how I want to live my life, too.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:37-39

But He knows the way that I take.  When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.  Job 23:10

We went through fire and through water, but You brought us out to rich fulfillment.  Psalm 66:12

 

I’m back at my dining room table after 6 weeks away from it.  Summer Break 2015 is about to be a memory.

I like sitting here.  It’s where I start my day, where my thoughts gel, where I talk to God over my first cup of coffee in the morning.  It’s where I can look out my front porch to see the first rays of the sun hit the tops of the pine trees on weekends, and when I can see the first gray light of morning on the days I’m up earlier for work. It’s where I write in my journal, read my Bible, type out blogs, think.

Oh, and occasionally I eat here too.

I’ve sat at many other tables over the past month and a half.  Restaurants in Savannah and Kinston and St.Simons Island.  Family tables in Towaco and Point Peninsula and Pine Brook and Reading.  Tables where we laughed and ate and reminisced and planned for the future.  Tables where we prayed for safety, job changes, financial decisions. Tables with birthday cakes and good Jersey vegetables and lake trout fresh from the fishing poles of a nephew and brother-in-law.

Sometimes we ate at those tables, sometimes we just talked.  But at each of them, we tasted and saw that the Lord was good. (Psalm 34:8)

The Lord fed me over this break with some amazing food.  But He also fed my heart with other blessings – family, friends, rest, refreshment.

So as I sit here at this particular table with vacation behind me, I know that I’ll be able to keep tasting that the Lord is good.  He’ll continue to provide and protect and bless in ways that will bring Him glory.  I’m so thankful for the “Tables of Summer, 2015”.

And now that I’m back at this one, I’m anxious to see what God has planned.

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.  Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:8

How sweet are Your words to my taste!  Sweeter than honey to my mouth.  Psalm 119:103

“My people shall be satisfied with my goodness”, says the Lord.  Jeremiah 31:17

Well, I have learned something new.

Do you know what these types of signs are called?  I knew they identified the name or number of a highway, but beyond that I can’t say I’d ever thought about the fact that they have a particular designation.

They’re called  “reassurance markers”.  I’m not kidding.

I’ve been planning my summer road trip and in the course of looking at maps and websites, I saw a picture of one of these signs labeled as a “reassurance marker”. I honestly thought they made that up.  But here’s the official description: “A reassurance marker or confirming marker is a type of traffic sign that confirms the identity of the route being traveled, but which doesn’t necessarily provide other information such as distances traveled, distances to other locations or upcoming intersections.”

So there you have it.  I’ve been driving for more years than I care to divulge. How is it that I never knew this???

And of course, it got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be great to have reassurance markers in our real life journeys as well?  Sometimes we just need to know we’re on the right road.  When things get difficult or crazy or unfamiliar, we start doubting that we’re where we are supposed to be.  We look for signs for the next intersection or signs to tell us how much further we’ll have to go until we get to our destination. We want warning signs about danger ahead.  Sometimes we’re even looking for rest stops.

But instead of specifics, God may simply give us a reassurance marker.  He’ll let us know we’re still on the right road, but that may be all He’s willing to tell us in spite of our belief that if we just had more information, we’d be much better off. Yet would our faith grow if we demanded that God explain the road? Would we learn to trust Him more if we knew exactly what was up around the bend, if we knew exactly how much further it would be until answered prayer or blessings? Probably not.

Sometimes all we really need to know is that we’re on the right road and leave the rest to Him.

Keep moving forward. Watch for the markers. And be reassured.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.  I will guide you with my eye.  Psalms 32:8

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:6

Your ears will hear a word behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it”. Isaiah 30:21

O Lord, I know that the way of a man is not in himself, it is not in man to direct his steps.  Jeremiah 10:23

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and He delighteth in his way.  Psalm 37:23 

 

When through Jesus Christ we are rightly related to God, we learn to watch and wait, and wait wonderingly.  “I wonder how God will answer this prayer.”  “I wonder how God will answer the prayer the Holy Spirit is praying for me.” “I wonder what glory God will bring to Himself out of the strange perplexities I am in.” “I wonder what new turn His providence will take in manifesting Himself in my ways.”

God always keeps the minds of His children open with wonder, with open-eyed expectancy for Him to come in where He likes.

Oswald Chambers – from his book, “If You Will Ask”

I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself to see what He will say to me concerning my complaint.  Habakkuk 2:1

Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out.  Ruth 3:18

Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.  Psalm 37:3

Sometimes it’s weird to look at pictures of yourself as a child.  Especially pictures of yourself at an age that you don’t remember.   That’s me?  Really?  Was I ever really only two years old?

Apparently I was, and here’s proof.  I had to dig this picture out last week for a women’s event at church where the attendees had to guess who was in the photos.  They guessed mine.  People said I haven’t changed.  Hope that’s a compliment!

But after I got home, this picture sat on my kitchen table for a few days, and I’d find myself staring at it.  I really don’t know why it fascinates me so much.  Am I trying to find a purpose and a meaning for the years and decades that followed?  Am I trying to figure out who I was and who I became?

When my parents took me for that picture, God knew the future of that smiling toddler.  And He knew exactly where I’d be today.  I wonder if He was laughing knowing that He’d put me in Florida where I’d hate the bugs (I spent the weekend killing ants and a cockroach crawled onto my computer keyboard yesterday morning), and hate the humidity, but where I’d find my passion and my calling.  I wonder if He was thinking about the joys and the disappointments and the blessings and the adventures and the jobs and the apartments and the churches and the friends.

I think He was.  And if a snapshot was taken of me today, He’d already be years down the road, knowing what lies ahead of this moment in time. This picture is comforting somehow.  To know that God was with me then, and He’s with me today, and He’ll be with me in the days ahead.  Whatever comes.

So maybe it’s a good idea to get out old snapshots every once in while. And be reminded of God’s faithfulness. And maybe His sense of humor as well.

You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Psalm 139:5

You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.  Psalm 139:2-3 NLT

For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.  Job 34:21