My family warned me I’d become addicted.  And I did.

Along with thousands of other people, I’ve become addicted to watching the “Bald Eagle Live Cam” on the internet.  There’s a camera fixed high up in a tree in Hanover, Pennsylvania over the nest of an eagle family – dad, mom and two “eglets”.    Every day we get to see the magnificent birds watch over their young ones, flying in a variety of interesting morsels for them to eat.  I’ve seen them bring in fish that are still flapping, a squirrel for breakfast and even a skunk.  Fortunately, I didn’t see that one distributed live.

Here’s the link if you want to see it for yourself.  Warning: It IS addicting.

http://hdontap.com/index.php/video/stream/bald-eagle-live-cam

The viewer comments are always interesting.  So many people are worried about the sibling rivalry between the two baby eglets.  They “bonk” each other (apparently an eagle term) and fight, sometimes for no reason, sometimes over the food.  Sensitive and justice-seeking people write in about how awful it is to watch them fight and how unfair it is and why don’t the parents intervene.

They don’t because the best thing for the babies is to let them learn to fight for food and survival now so that they’ll survive in the wild when they’re on their own.  I learned that from another viewer.

Interesting.  It’s not unfair.  It’s preparing them for the battles down the road.

And isn’t that the way it seems for us sometimes?  We wonder why God doesn’t intervene in some of our situations.  We wonder why we have to fight the same battles over and over again, when we know He could very easily step in and make everything “fair”.

Just like those big eagle parents, He knows that we need to learn to fight through.  We need to not give up when life “bonks” us on the head, when things aren’t working out the way we think they should.  God knows that each time we fight our natural inclination to either give up or cry “unfair!”, our faith is getting stronger and we’re better prepared for the battles down the road.

Watch that eagle nest for awhile.  And let it be a reminder to fight through – especially through the “bonks”.

Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. James 1:2-4 (The Living Bible)

When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.  Job 23:10

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  Romans 8:37

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:7

He was waiting for me when I got back from lunch.  A grateful patient with a big bouquet of flowers and a big thank you.

It’s not often someone comes back to say thank you.  But this young man did, and it made my day.  Might have even brought some tears to my eyes but I didn’t want to embarrass him.  It was such a relief to see him standing upright.  Two days earlier he wasn’t looking so good.  To put it simply, he could have died.  A sudden life-threatening allergic reaction could have ended very badly.

But it didn’t.  We were grateful for God’s protection.  And this college student was grateful that we were there for him.

It’s been a week since Easter.  And I’ve been thinking about how Easter Sunday gives us a day to celebrate and be grateful for the Cross.  But then comes Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday and the days turn into weeks and months.  And I wonder if we all too easily forget to go back and say “Thank You” again when the lilies are gone and the Easter hymns get put to the bottom of the song pile.

We need to be grateful.  Every day.  Grateful that because of the Cross, death is swallowed up in victory and things will not end badly for us.  We have life and we have it more abundantly.

This week a young man with a bouquet of flowers and a smile on his face reminded me that sometimes, we just need to go back again and say – Thank You.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.  Psalm 100:4

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Psalm 103:2

I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  John 10:10 

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.  Hebrews 13:15

 

It’s hard to sit still.  Ask any three year old.

Or better yet, ask a grown-up who’s waiting for something to happen or move forward and nothing is happening or moving forward.  But she’s asked to sit still anyway.

I love the Bible stories of courage and valor and rushing to meet the enemy head-on, or doing the brave things requiring loads and loads of faith.  There are other times, though, when God says to just sit still.  Or stand still.  Or do nothing.  And those kinds of stories don’t always get us as inspired.  It’s our nature to want to DO something.

It’s hard to sit still.

I have a situation at work right now where all I can do is sit still.  It’s driving me crazy.  I’ve prayed, and continued to pray, so I know it’s all under God’s control.  But I want to DO something to make things move faster.  I want answers. I want to know what’s happening behind the scenes.  I want to know what the future holds.

When Ruth had done everything she could to present herself and her situation to Boaz, Naomi gave her advice.  “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out.” (Ruth 3:18)

When 600 chariots carrying angry Egyptians were racing toward the fleeing Israelites who were trapped at the edge of the Red Sea, Moses told them “Do not be afraid.  Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.” (Exodus. 14:16)

After Paul exhorted the Ephesian church to put on the whole armor of God and be ready to fight, he followed up with, “Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. (Ephesians 6:14 NLT).

Sometimes we’re called to do something, sometimes we’re called to sit still. Or stand still. That doesn’t mean God isn’t working something behind the scenes.  It doesn’t mean we’re cowards or that we’ve given up.  It just means we need to have the faith that when we’ve done everything God has asked us to do, and then He says to stay where we are, He’s up to something.

Sitting still IS hard.  But maybe it’s just a little exciting as well.

Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.  Job 37:14

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  Psalm 46:10

“I feel like I’m becoming the poster child for hope deferred”.

Oh, the flair for the dramatic one can feel free to express in a journal! Yes, I actually wrote that this morning. I do some of my best writing when it’s just between me, my journal and God. Except now it’s out there, and it’s between me and whoever is reading my blog today.

Hope deferred seemed to be the theme of my week. I thought a situation was going to turn out differently than it did. I even spent a day fasting and praying over it. And God answered, as He always does in response to intercession. But it appears He didn’t answer in the way I thought He would.

The “hope deferred” reference came from Proverbs 13:12. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Oh yes, bring it on. Amen. I agree. Etch it on a plaque or hang it on a sticky-note above my desk.

And if that’s all there was to the verse, I could embrace it and wallow in it and hold it out to God and say, “See? I knew this was all in vain”.

But that’s not the end of the verse.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life”.

To defer something doesn’t mean it’s cut off. Hope deferred is not the same thing as being hope-less. God will continue to be faithful. He will continue to work all things for good. He will continue to provide and protect and sustain and bring trees of life out of seemingly barren land.

Maybe being the poster child for hope deferred really isn’t all that bad (as long as the picture on the poster is a good one, of course!). If God can use these sometimes wacky, sometimes entertaining, sometimes wistful dramas in my life to encourage others to keep holding on, keep believing, keep trusting, then it’s OK. I’m OK. And in time, it will all make sense and I’ll see what God was up to.

Defer my hope if you need to, Lord.  I’ll even be on that poster. And I’ll keep watching and waiting for those trees of life.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more. Psalm 71:14

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

I think it should have been pretty obvious.

There are these two blind men sitting by the side of a road.  Jesus comes by with a huge crowd following close behind.  OK, so here’s the omnipotent Miracle Worker and two sightless men.  Simple enough. Obviously they needed to have their sight restored. And Jesus had already been doing amazing and unbelievable things – raising the dead, feeding thousands, walking on water. I get the feeling these men are going to be healed.

But Jesus doesn’t just jump right into the healing.  When He hears their cries for mercy,  He stops and asks them a question instead.

“What do you want Me to do for you?”  

Really?  Wasn’t it obvious?  But there was something about hearing directly from these men, in their own words, exactly what they needed. You kind of wonder if they thought He was kidding.  But they didn’t skip a beat.  They answered quickly, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened”.

So, if I was sitting by the side of the road and Jesus came by and asked me exactly what I wanted Him to do for me, what would I say? Would I stumble over my words? Would I try to sound all spiritual and mature? Would I stutter and avert my eyes and say something generic like, “Well, Lord, whatever You want”?  Maybe.   But then, would Jesus take my lowered chin in His hand, lift it up, look me in the eyes and say, “Really, Sharon, what do you want Me to do for you?”

Jesus wants us to ASK.  No stuttering.  No shyness.  He has asked us a question.  And He lovingly waits for the answer He already knows we want to give, but are too hesitant to put into words.

Don’t just cry out.  Don’t be shy.   Be specific. Tell God what you need, what you want. He already knows. And in case you were wondering about the end of the story,  the blind guys did receive their sight…and followed the One who gave it to them.  (Matthew 20:29-34)

Until now you have asked nothing in My name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.  John 16:24

Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble.  You will prepare their heart.  You will cause Your ear to hear.  Psalm 10:17

Then you will call upon Me, and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  Jeremiah 29:12

(Originally posted in April, 2010)

You should always take your trash out to the dumpster on Sunday mornings.

This was the conclusion I came to yesterday morning at 8:30. I was all ready to leave the house for church when I realized the kitchen trash needed to be taken out. Something was, let’s just say,“not so fresh” in the can. But I was dressed and ready, Bible in hand. I thought maybe it could wait until I got home, but even on the cooler days in Florida, kitchen trash has the tendency to ferment a little quicker. So, with a huff and a rolling of my eyes, I grabbed the bag and headed out to the dumpster at the end of the parking lot. Trash removal before church. Seemed so unspiritual.

And then it hit me.

It’s exactly what we need to do every time we leave for worship. Check to see if there’s trash that needs to be removed. How often do we leave the house, dressed in our Sunday clothes, Bible in hand, and enter worship without taking care of the things in our hearts that are “not so fresh” first? We’re encouraged to “prepare our hearts for worship”. But I honestly don’t really think about it as much as I should.

Until yesterday, with a bag of trash in one hand and my Bible in the other. I might just have to make it a Sunday morning habit. Check the trash in the kitchen. And check my heart, too. Then take out anything that needs to be taken out before getting to church, before entering into worship – attitudes, ungratefulness, bitterness, weak faith.

Take your trash out often. But especially on Sunday mornings.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51.10

Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”? Proverbs 20:9

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22

Do you know how to fend off a shark? Survive a poisonous snake attack? Land a plane? Survive if your parachute fails to open?

Me neither. But thank goodness I have “The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook”.

I think it was given to me as a gag gift a few years ago. But part of me wants to make sure I read it just in case a worst case scenario really does happen. I wouldn’t want to face the poisonous snake knowing that if I had just read the book I would have known what to do.

I thought about the book after noticing something I had written in the margin of my Bible. I was reading the story of Jairus in Mark 5, and how he came to Jesus asking Him to heal his sick daughter. But Jesus got delayed by the woman who touched His hem and by the time He was done dealing with that, someone came to let Jairus know it was too late. His daughter had died.

Next to the story I had written, “When the worst thing happens”.

And that’s the point of the story. What to do when the worst thing happens. When Jesus heard that the girl was dead, He turned to Jairus and said, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.”

Jairus didn’t know what would happen next. He only knew the worst thing had already happened. Jesus knew it too. But Jesus also knew the rest of the story. And that’s why He could look into the eyes of this desperate and grieving father and say, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe”.

Is that our response when the worst thing happens? Do we turn our fear and desperation over to God and believe that He has it all under control? Sometimes the worst thing does happen, sometimes we think that it might happen. But either way, our response needs to be to turn to the all-knowing, all-wise and all-loving God, and believe that He knows what He’s doing.

Jesus did heal Jairus’ daughter. But even if He had chosen to work in another way, it doesn’t change what He said we should do when things fall apart.

My Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook is entertaining, and quite possibly useful should I ever encounter the highly unlikely perils it describes. But more importantly, I have another survival handbook. The best one. The one with the very simple, yet most powerful instruction of all when the worst case scenario happens, or we worry that it will.

“Do not be afraid. Just believe.”

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Mark 5:36

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Romans 4:20-21

For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ Isaiah 41:13

Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Psalm 46:2

“Bread – What a Scandinavian Bakery taught me about waiting on God”.

Catchy title, huh?  Should it be my next book?  Probably not.  But there really is a story there.

A Christmas Eve trip to the Viking Bakery in Denville, New Jersey has become a family holiday tradition.  We pre-order our loaves of limpa (Swedish rye bread) and cardamom coffee cake rings a day or two before.  Then on Christmas Eve morning we make the 10 mile drive to Denville, wait in the line stretching to the door and receive our bundles of fresh Scandinavian goodness.

At least that’s the way it’s supposed to happen.

We did make the 10 mile drive.  We did stand in the line that stretched to the front door.  But we didn’t get our bread.  A very apologetic young girl behind the counter told us that our order wasn’t ready and could we come back in two hours?

Well now, that certainly wasn’t our plan.  As it is in most homes, Christmas Eve is a busy day.  We had other things planned, other things to accomplish – things that weren’t in that town, 10 miles from home.  But in the Christmas spirit of things (and because she looked so worried that we might not respond graciously), we said of course, we can come back.

And two hours later, she handed me bread that was so warm she couldn’t even seal the bags, and cardamom rings that made the car smell like the bakery was coming home with us.

Later, we realized a little something about waiting.  If we had demanded that she give us our bread two hours earlier, she might well have had to hand us a wet, sticky ball of dough.  Nothing like the fragrant bread we had longed for, certainly nothing like what we received later, so full of deliciousness.

Aren’t we like that with God sometimes?  We expect a certain thing to happen in a certain way and in a certain time.  And God asks us to wait.  Usually we don’t even know why.  But He asks.  And we have the choice to respond with indignation and demands for faster service, or to respond with gracious acceptance of the delay, knowing that the waiting will bring something better.  If God allows what we demand, it might end up being like the wet, sticky ball of dough – completely disappointing and useless.

I was glad we waited for the bread.  Totally worth it.  And I’m glad the waiting reminded us of life, and of waiting on God for things we think we deserve right now.  I don’t want God to give me things outside of His timing because I demand it.

I might not always understand the delay, but waiting will be worth it.  Totally worth it.

Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you;  Isaiah 30:18

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.  Isaiah 55:8

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  James 1:4
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I’ve come to the conclusion that Christmas is better at night.

Driving around running errands the past few days, I’ve been completely under-impressed by trailing extension cords leading to bushes and trees, deflated “inflatables” of Santas and snowmen and Disney characters lying in heaps on front lawns, wire framed stars and grazing deer looking like just that – wire frames. Nothing special. Nothing to inspire holiday cheer.

But when night comes, those same “blah”, less than impressive characters and shapes will come to life. Against the backdrop of darkened skies, those front lawns and porches will light up, making children smile and those driving by take a second look.

Christmas is definitely better at night.

But wasn’t that the way it happened to begin with? Didn’t Jesus come when the world was dark and in desperate need of light? Didn’t the angels break forth at night, lighting up the sky with God’s glory? Didn’t the star need the blackness of night to be seen by the wise men?

Darkness sets the stage for the light.

Our world is pretty dark now, too. The news on the front pages and the leading stories on the TV make me cringe and make me sad. I shake my head, wondering if things can get any worse. And yet, this is the darkness that Jesus came for. This is the reason for Christmas – and the Cross.

Maybe the daytime disarray of unlit Christmas decorations should serve as a reminder to us of a world in need of light – the very first Christmas Light, the same Light that still shines today.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;Those who dwelled in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.  Isaiah 9:2

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.  Matthew 2:10

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

My parents were married 59 years ago today. December 16th, 1955. And even though my Dad isn’t here to celebrate it with my Mom and the rest of us, it’s still a cause for celebration.

His earthly absence doesn’t change the fact that their marriage was a great one, built on faith and trust and God. It served as a lifelong example to the four kids who were born into it. Four kids who came to know the Lord early. Four kids who as adults all walk with the Lord today. It’s still serving as an example to the ones who are now married with kids of their own, and to the ones still waiting.

The promises made 59 years ago were kept. And the impact of those promises reach farther than those two young Bible college students could possibly have imagined. Mom kept the household and the kids in order so that Dad could travel and preach and speak and tell others about Christ. Together they built a ministry, a family, and a home.

I never had to worry that my parents wouldn’t stay together, and I know that is something rare these days. I never had to worry about being loved and cared for, even when (uh-hem) “adjustments” to my behavior were necessary.

For their 40th Anniversary we put together a video of pictures telling the story of their lives as a couple. As the photos of the wedding and birthdays and babies and homes and vacations faded in and out on the screen, Steve Green’s song “Household of Faith” played in the background. I looked over those lyrics again a few minutes ago and I realized they capture my parent’s marriage perfectly.

We’ll build a household of faith
That together we can make
And when the strong winds blow it won’t fall down
As one in Him we’ll grow and the whole world will know
We are a household of faith

Thank you, Mom, that on a cold December night 59 years ago, amid Christmas decorations and red velvet dresses and friends and family, you and Dad stood before God and began to build a household of faith that still stands to this day. It looks a little different, but it’s still standing.

And we are blessed because of it.

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 118:1

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:7