Kings

 

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.” Matthew 2:1-12

 

 

I remember my mom saying she never wanted her kids to be too smart or too stupid, just average, average fits in better.  Or something like that.  I laugh at it now and wish maybe I could have been just a bit smarter.  Like those Kings who liked to look at stars, a great philosopher, or our founding fathers. There is a strange thing that happens when we study, we can get smart and gain wisdom, in that wisdom our faith grows, our knowledge grows, our relationship with God deepens.  But, also in learning, there is a twist, a lie, if we aren’t careful.  The evil one, wants to control that wisdom.  Remember the lie in the garden?  When he whispered to Eve that God forbid the fruit because she would be like God and know things. And Eve ate.  The desire to know things is strong in us, it’s part of the miraculous creation He made us to be, to seek deeper understanding of the world and those around us.  But when the evil one whispers, “there’s more if you turn from God,” some are tempted to listen.  

 

Our world is inundated with the message, “you don’t need God, Jesus is a crutch, weak people are Christians.” Our schools teach history and science with no mention of God, a creator, or the Bible. And yet, God used a bunch of pagan astrologers to find the Savior.  How strange.  How very God.  Two worlds collide. At the very core of creation is the message and proof of Jesus.  I love it when God uses the unexpected, the unwanted, the outcast. These men who studied the stars knew something was different and it intrigued them.  When was the last time you looked up at the sky and it intrigued you? This year, 2020, in the days leading up to Christmas the planets Jupiter and Saturn appear to be in a dance as they are set to align as one planet on Dec 21. The planets will be about 400 million miles apart but will look as if they are right on top of each other. This happening was last visible in 1226. Some believe this explains the bright star the Kings followed.  Incredible?  Or God?  Astronomers say this is a once in a lifetime experience as it will not be visible again until 2080.  For some young children they make see it again, but for adults it is now or never.  

 

Now or never, now there’s a statement.  Are we so caught up in our own version of the truth that we can’t see Him?  There isn’t much time left.  Life is moving, the days are passing, and we must choose which side of knowledge we are on.  

 

The Kings knew something was amiss, strange, and they acted.  They followed.  As learned men they would have known the history of the Jewish people and the promise of a Messiah, but these men did not serve or worship God. They were seeking an answer to this strange heavenly star and searching to find the Messiah at the request of King Herod who wanted Him killed.  In their seeking the answer to this wonderment in the night sky they found the child, The KING OF KINGS, Savior of the World. They fell at His feet and worshipped Him and presented Him with gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. I often think how strange this is.  I don’t believe they set out to worship Him, I believe it was a desire for knowledge that led them a great way. But God chose to use them.  They did not tell King Herod they had found the Child. And returned home by another route. 

 

Isn’t it just like God to place himself in the midst of our journey, while we are still ignoring Him?  While we are refusing to see our need for Him, we shut our eyes to the truth and then He catches us completely off guard by placing the brightest star in front of us and we can do nothing but stare and follow.  He will stop at nothing.  He will seek after and reveal himself to all. He is the creator of knowledge and wisdom. 

 

As you look to the sky this advent season, remember those Kings who so long ago followed the star to find the Savior.  Seek Him and you will find Him.  Don’t let the lie of the evil one lull you into a false sense of security in your own knowledge and understanding.  We all need the Savior.  

Shepherds

 

Advent, Shepherds

- December 22, 2020

 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11

 

 

If you had an important message and wanted to disperse it to the ones who would be most affected, what method would you use? Today you might use an email, Facebook, or other social media outlet. Perhaps you would include several emojis to get the point across that this is a really big deal. A lifechanging event. What if you had the ability to not only grab the attention of your audience, but do it in such a way that it struck absolute terror in their hearts?  

 

Picture a group of tired, humble, faithful men on a hillside resting near a flock of sheep.  These men were a bit low in the social order of their day.  The priests had chosen and discarded sheep after sheep, looking for that perfect lamb to offer in sacrifice. Now it was their responsibility to keep the flock safe during the long night.

 

And then the messengers arrive.  The only lights had been the fires and the heavenly bodies above, including a particularly bright star that had caught their attention but did not disturb them too much.  Suddenly the sky above them shone with a glorious light. First one messenger- a supernatural being emerged from the beautiful, terrifying light. The Angel quickly eased their fears and proclaimed a stupefying announcement. “Don't be afraid! this news is fantastic! It's a world changer for all the people! That Messiah you’ve been waiting for has been born tonight in the city of David!” I paraphrase just a little. 

 

These common, simple, hardworking men were not welcome at the temple for worship because their work required ceremonial rituals after the unclean manure and dead animals. They were good enough to care for the sacrificial animals but paradoxically their work excluded them from acceptance to worship. As soon as the messenger angel proclaimed the news and gave them the confirming information where to find this Messiah baby and how to recognize him, the rest of the heavenly choir showed up and showed out. This was the moment heaven and earth had waited for. There praise was in fine form. Never had there been so much to celebrate. The darling of heaven had just put on human form and the Kingdom clock started its countdown.

 

Those shepherds are easy to identify with. We are unworthy of a love like that. The one who comes to us exactly like we are says, “this message is for you. Right where you are. My love is unfailing and everlasting.” The invitation is the same. Come and see Jesus. No one is unclean or beyond his forgiveness and grace. The ‘temple’ is not required because it's all about the relationship.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 

Lord,

Help us to see your message.  Thank you that in the midst of our filthy, messy lives you chose to show us the love of a Savior.  We pray that our focus is on you this advent season and that we seek to know you more. Amen

 

Advent Mary

  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

 

There is nothing sweeter than the feel of a newborn in your arms. I often envy Mary that God honored her with the privilege of holding the Savior so close. Knowing him so intimately, feeling his movement in her womb, experiencing the pain of his birth, then lying back in exhaustion, a smile of pure joy as she looks into the eyes of the one God has entrusted into her care. This child so frail, so fragile, dependent on the nourishment of her breast, looks back at her with complete trust for his wellbeing. All the while the chaos of the world ensues.  Joseph had traveled with his pregnant betrothed  because of the task at hand.  The Census, the count was to be taken and a baby waits for nothing when the time has come. The new mother finds herself in an dirty stable, in a strange city, cold, dark, alone.  And here she welcomes the Light of the World.   Was she scared? I suspect terrified.  Did she imagine this going a totally different way when God told her she was to birth the Savior? Perhaps.  There was no hesitation, as babies allow none, so it was out of her hands at the moment of his arrival.  The pain, the screams, the tearing, all for the Son of God.  She didn’t ask for this, I assume she didn’t fully understand what was happening, but there was a bond, a knowing, and intimacy, she knew this child within her and every instinct kicked in as she birthed the newborn.  And then with his tiny cries, it was over.  The pain miraculously gone replace by joy and a love only a mother knows in that moment after birth. And there in the dirt Mary held to her the Son of God.  Right there!! That’s what I envy.  That closeness.  Flesh touching flesh.  The smell of him, the softness of his skin, the sweetness of his new face.  Can you imagine? She knew him and he knew her.  The long awaited Child was nestled in the arms of a girl and he had known her from before the foundation of the earth.  And there was no fear.  How could there be?  To know the Savior is to know no fear. 

 

But we live in a tumultuous world, fear is everywhere.  And why?  Nothing has changed since the time of His birth.  Evil and good both exist. There is a fight for your attention and the control of your life.  The evil distracts you, wants you to feel comfortable and safe, evil keeps you on the sidelines, tucked out of the way, just plodding through life, not making waves, just existing.  But the Good, He gave His son and when he did, he meant business.  He will stop at nothing to have you.  He wants only good for you and promises to never leave you but requires faith and trust. He tells you from the very start of the relationship that it won’t be easy, but he’ll be with you.  GOD WANTS YOU!  Take a cue from Mary. God told her she was to bear His son.  She trusted.  She knew there would be pain. She trusted.  And with great anticipation she carried the Son of God for nine months of pregnancy through to an excruciating birth and then stood at the foot of the cross as the Savior of the world fulfilled the promise.  How could she stand it?  Did she remind herself of the purpose as the tears flowed?  Could she still feel him at her breast in need of her for life as he hung in death to give her live? The pain of this moment is too much to bear, but necessary in order to understand.  He died that we might have life. 

 

As we walk through this life, we anticipate His second coming.  The world is lost, darkness is closing in all around us.  But we must not be content to sit this fight out.  This is our time.  No matter what lies ahead or the pain we must endure, He has a plan for us, right here, right now.  What is holding you back?  Let God have it.  What fear are you holding onto?  He is greater that it.  Whatever he is calling you to he has already paved the way. Mary did not know the detail of God’s plan, but she knew God.  In that knowing, she trusted, and through that trust came the blessing. Trust Him.  There is something beautiful that awaits. 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Help me to set aside the fear that keeps me from knowing you fully.  Thank you for the gift of your son and the promise of eternal life.  Help me to be the light in the darkness of my world.  Help me to see that no matter how great or small the calling when it is from you I must act and step out in faith.  Thank you for never leaving me and for a love that surrounds me so completely. 

 

In your Son’s precious name, Amen

Advent-expectancy

 Every year we look back and say, "Where did the time go?" Surprised that another year has gone by. The Christmas season is a time of contrasting emotions but this year in particular finds us with unique challenges. Our gatherings with friends and family look different. Feelings of loneliness and isolation have increased. Hope may be mingled with dread, anticipation with despair. Even in a 'normal' year, our inner voice can be drowned out by superficial distractions, leaving us drained and frustrated as the busyness robs us of the deeper meaning of the season.

 

We are living between the first Advent of Jesus Christ and the second Advent - His return. The essence of Advent is expectancy. A watchfulness. A time of hope and expectation. Christmas is about a promise fulfilled. Within the manger lies the cross, and the hope of redemption and resurrection. We look with fresh eyes at who Jesus is and are astonished anew at this amazing story. God is faithful. His plans prevail. In fact, it is only in God's coming that the Bible itself is given value.

 

God waited a thousand years after King David to bring the Messiah. 700 years after the prophesies in Isaiah. 400 years after the last prophet, Malachi. And then God showed up in the most amazing series of surprises. That's the thing about love. It will take you to surprising places. It will take many forms. The Father brought that love to a young, frightened girl in a backwater town called Nazareth on the outskirts of society. Then He caused a worldwide census to position her in Bethlehem. And God gave the message to uncouth, dirty shepherds that His love had been born in a barn and placed in the feeding trough of the cattle. Then He brought from the east Magi, pagan astrologers to the Christ child. How utterly bizarre. And then He caused the Messiah's flight to Egypt through the threat of Herod - the very place He had rescued His people from slavery. That love became a carpenter who became homeless and spent His time with the sick, the lame and the outcasts. He became despised while continuing to love those who despised and wished to hurt Him.

 

We long for a love that lasts. A love that is brave, not shaken. God offers a supernatural love, a love that compelled Jesus to leave His home in Heaven and take on human frailty as 'Immanuel', God With Us. 

 

We hear a lot these days about 'Intersectionality'. How race, class, gender, etc. intersect and overlap. A framework for understanding how identities combine. We live in parallel worlds. One consists of mountains, beaches, lakes, oceans, farms, deserts, politicians and shepherds watching over their flocks. The other consists of angels and sinister forces, places called Heaven and Hell. As scripture says, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together". One night among the hills of Bethlehem those two worlds came together, but the eyewitnesses simply saw a newborn infant struggling to use brand new lungs.

 

Can you even imagine if those events were to play out in this tumultuous world we are living in today?  Think for a moment that you are going about your day and God himself appears to turn your whole world upside down in a way that will astonish, annoy and then amaze you if you choose to see He is doing it out of a love we can never comprehend. While we typically celebrate birth with joy and excitement, the reality of his birth is that it was necessary to fulfill the promise of eternal life brought by his death and resurrection. When the two worlds collided that night in Bethlehem, love was born.  As Mary held the infant close, the sound of a hammer rang out in the near future, the sound that would bring him to ultimate suffering for the love of us all.  The time is now for us to examine the world we live in and our response to the sacrifice of the cross. Are we living with expectancy this advent season?  Are we open to allowing God to show us more? As we approach the celebration of the ChristChild’s birth and the coming of a new year, let’s take a closer look at the responses of those whose lives were upturned by the events that unfolded. 

 

I am thrilled and honored to have collaborated on this devotional with my friend June Somers-Caudill.  I hope it blesses you this Christmas Season. ~Jenny 

Another 18th

There’s something almost miraculous about raising a child into adulthood. Looking back over years of teaching, directing, feeding, clothing, disciplining, loving, laughing and crying, I can see the hand of God guiding me. 

The fact that this is the third 18th birthday our family has celebrated is just crazy. It doesn’t seem possible for time to be passing so quickly. To be honest, I wasn’t sure this one would make it to see this day. I’m thankful he did, but know it is only by the grace of God. 

He’s fearless. Which makes him dangerous. He’s curious and not always cautious in seeking answers as to how things work or how far something can be pushed to its limit. He’s beyond hard working, and we’ve had many ER visits to patch up work injuries. He’s so bright and creative. And so very kind, yet snarky and funny and sensitive in ways that surprise me and still bring me to tears. 

He towers over me now but I can still feel his small body nestled in my arms as I rocked  him to sleep. All those years ago I prayed as I watched him sleep that God would use him in a beautiful way. I’ve watched as he’s grown up in a world that seeks to pull him away and as this day drew closer I pleaded by with God for him to remain strong in his faith as he sets off into adulthood. 

The craziest part about parenting is that those early days filled with sleepless nights, frustration, teething, tantrums, and such are nothing compared to this feeling of “have I done enough?” “Is he ready?”  “Father please guide him.” Their dad and I have raised our kiddos to be strong, independent young people, and we are proud of their individuality. But that feeling, the one deep down, that knowledge that they are now responsible for themselves and accountable to God can be scary and the only thing I can do is pray, as I lay them before God and trust Him. 

This kid has big plans and I can’t wait to cheer him in as he seeks to make those dreams a reality. Happy 18 Ben, I love ya kid. 

 

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to complain.

 I wrote a post on Facebook today about the home renovations and chaos we are living in as of late.  I just looked at the comments and thought perhaps I sounded “too whiny and ungrateful” as Brad recently called me or sonething close to that.  That was not my intent and I’m embarrassed if it came off that way. 

Full disclosure and reality check….

We are renovating.

We are selling a business.

Brad is working two full time jobs and acting as GC during renovation, plus doing MUCH of the work. 

We are dealing with health issues.

Our 20 yr old. son is apartment shopping looking to move out next month. 

Our 17 yr old son is looking for his first car. 

Our kids are trying to finish the school year and work the business. 

I’m still healing from the burns.

We are dealing with elderly parents. 

We are out of coffee. 

Now the latter will be remedied as soon as this posts thanks to Amazon. But the other things on the list are not so easily solved. What bothered me about my FB post was that I don’t really complain and wasn’t trying to be whiny but truly wanted to show that sometimes the bad stuff piles up and we act badly.  

Instead of focusing on the chaos I thought I’d share instead the why behind what we are doing and the things I have to be grateful for during this time. 

In 2020 I felt compelled to allow God to move in my life any way He saw fit. If you’ve followed along on the blog or had a chance to chat with me in the coffee room, you know I want my life and home to be about people (or at least I hope you know that.) I believe with all my heart that any outreach I desire must begin in our home, so we set out to make our home work for us as opposed to against us as it has these many years. This renovation will create spaces for our family to be together and enjoy the things we love, especially food, cooking, and eating together.  The strong bounds we create in being together, I pray, will become contagious as we open our home to friends, family, and strangers (new friends.) I believe God wants to use the spaces we are creating in ways I’ve not even dreamt about yet. That both excites and frightens me, but I’m trusting Him even more now than I did in 2020, because I’ve seen His faithfulness and witnessed His goodness.  

I’m grateful for a husband and partner who knows how to do so much and has taught our kiddos as well. I’m grateful for kids who pitch in even when they’d rather be doing so many other things.  

I believe that when we take time to be away together it builds a stronger bond, so camping trips are on my list of “just do” even though we have so many jobs at home needing attention.  I will almost never say no to time with Brad, especially in the car with the top down, even if it means long sleeves, hat, and sunscreen for me these days.  I love the birds in the morning and the stars at night because they remind me that the God of the universe is holding it all in His hands, including me and my family. I’m even grateful for the messy days when we don’t get it right because it requires me to take a deep look into my motives and evaluation my actions.  Days like today and yesterday I am reminded it’s really not about me. 

I told God I was ok with whatever He had planned. I trusted Him in all things and He started cleaning house. Literally and figuratively.  It’s been quite the journey, the road has been painful and the losses real, but I’ve learned to trust Him through this purging because I know He holds a better future than I could think, plan, or imagine. And to that I’m open. There’s a song that Meredith Andrews sings called “Make Room” 

 “And I  will make room for You, Jesus

To do whatever You want to
Come do whatever You want to
And I will make room for You
To do whatever You want to
To do whatever You want to

Here is where I lay it down
You are all I'm chasing now
This is my surrender”

I’m sorry if it sounded like I wanted sympathy, I don’t. What’s going on in my life right now is silly in light of real suffering. But even if it weren’t, I’d not want the world to see me complain, I’d want them to see me praise, because I serve a good good father, deserving of all my praise all the time. 

My Shield and Protector

 I sat on the floor kneeling against the futon in June’s library, just like I do every Tuesday night as we spend time together in prayer. The atmosphere changes when we bow together to worship our God through prayer. There is an overwhelming sense of His presence as we sit heads bowed and call on Him. There is the beauty of His power and presence when we pour out to Him, as each word is spoken and our needs and concerns are laid before the throne a weight is lifted. It’s not a weight I desire to carry and in these moments of intimacy, through gut wrenching, honest, open prayer I have met my God in an altogether new way. 

  I was there on Tuesday and as I prayed out the needs and burdens I asked God to do whatever it takes to show His will, His power, to not let me miss His working in all things. I prayed over brokenness, and I asked for restoration. I cried out that I trusted Him no matter what.  

   I drove home with a knowledge that I love and serve a God who sees. A God I can trust. My circumstances remained unchanged, but I was resolved to trust him fully. 

   Little did I know how quickly I would be put to the test. 

   I woke the next morning and started my day as I always do in my coffee room reflecting and praying for Him to guide me that day. Our day would begin shortly with all the typical craziness you would expect to find in a household of 8 all getting ready at the same time.  It’s even crazier these days as the home renovation and sale of our business seem to have collided on our timeline.  The stress has been building and I’ll admit we haven’t been handling it as we know we should. Brad and I were in a disagreement and it was a rare occasion that I didn’t want to talk it out. So, out of character for us, we weren’t talking.  A son was also upset with me that morning and ran off to work without resolution because he felt I was too concerned about his health that morning. He didn’t have time for my mothering and let me know. 

   I had a bit of time yesterday before I needed to dress the girls for dance so I pulled out the fridge to clean behind.  My youngest son, Con was in the kitchen waiting for his bacon to cook, and moved slightly out of my way so I could work.  I vacuumed and mopped behind it before pushing it back in and then removed the front grill to wash. It was covered with dust so I got down on the floor and proceeded to try and vacuum some of the coil which I new would be dirty as well. The stubborn dust refused to budge and I was running out of time. I turned to grab a can of compressed air from under the kitchen sink and got back down on the floor again. After six sprays I was glad to see the dust gone, I pulled the trigger one last time when the air around me ignited in a flash fire.  I was immediately covered in flames. All I could see was fire in my face. The ignition in the kitchen was loud and the force shook the upstairs that,  the smoke alarms, but especially my screams, brought my children running. 

   As I stood my face on fire, Con stood almost helpless as he saw me catch fire. I tore off the light sweater I was wearing, I yelled for the kids to get Brad and I ran to the pool as my skin still burned. 

   In a situation like this so many different things are going on at once.  Con sees me on fire but it happened so fast there was no time for him to react, my kids upstairs heard me scream, a scream I have never screamed before, and thought all manner of things, that the fridge had fallen on me, that the roof was coming down, as the blast had lifted the access panel to the attic upstairs and insulation fell down, or worst yet, Brad’s fear I was rescuing our baby girl from the pool, as he saw me run in horror to jump into the pool from his office window.  

   Brad took me to the ER where I spent much of yesterday. I will be ok, first and second degree burns which with proper care will heal in time. The hair will one day all grow back. I’m beyond grateful this was not as serious as it could have been, and I’m grateful it was me and not one of the kids. 

   Today I visited the burn clinic to assess the situation, clean the wounds and learn how to care for them at home. My left side suffered the most damage, with second degree burns on my arm, hand, and face.  It’s not pretty, but still it will heal. 

   I will never ask God why, but I do ask that for whatever purpose He allows things to happen in my life I learn from it.  I can already see the blessing and healing (apart from the burns) that will come from this. And I will forever praise God for his protection from it being worse.  Tuesday when I prayed that I would accept anything that came my way if it could be used for His glory I meant it. And so today I glorify the Lord, for He is with me, my shield  and protector.