Almost 40

In a few months from now, I will be rounding the corner to my 40’s. 

My 40’s! 

As I sit poised at the edge of 39, I am given some clarity and thoughts that might speak to you as well,  no matter your age.

I had a surgery yesterday, and as I recoup on the couch, I reflect on what my 30’s have brought me....two children, another dog, many sweet memories and triumphs with my husband & family, a few grade changes as a teacher, new friends, and discovery of some God-given gifts that are still unfolding. It also brought a plethora of gray hairs, extra pounds, stressful stages with toddlers, and life lessons.

Immersed in my reflection, a somber thought occurred to me as I recognized that every day, we die a little.... nobody wants to think of it that way, but if you and I were to compare a snapshot from 20 years ago to one taken today, our faces tell that same truth. Humanly speaking, we lose a little of our physical being daily! You might also attest to the fact that a surgery here or injury there proves our mortal status. All the face creams and vitamins in the world will not. stop. that. clock.

In lighter news, here is another zinger—— daily, I am renewed in Christ. 

Every day that I choose to spend time focused on Him, I am being made new.  The Bible reveals this truth in a few ways:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30

Ladies & Gentlemen, if those verses don’t bring you hope, read them again and again! Stick one on your bathroom mirror. Write them in your journal. Tattoo one on your bicep.

God wants to make you new. God wants to use you for His purposes. Don’t be so impressed with what you see in the mirror ... for as time goes by, we all become less physically appealing. What will matter at the end of your days and mine is what God can glean from your life.  How did His love transform you to transform this world?

Listen, we will all arrive to the end a bit scarred, embattled, weakened, and aged. But by then, will you be able to say that your soul is lighter, mightier, stronger, faith-filled, and wiser? 

What a tragedy it would be to make it to a ripe, old age and never be renewed with the love of Jesus... to never choose to open God’s Word and be filled....to never know the love of a Savior... to never fully forgive someone.... to never step out in faith... to never utter a prayer to the only One who can answer... 

No pursuit of perfection, but pursuit of God.  Choosing His presence over all distractions. Choosing His ways over all of the solutions this world has to offer.  If you don’t know where to start, please ask me.

My goal is to walk a bit more closely with God each day.... by my life’s end, I hope to see His handprints all over my life. Not my wisdom, but His. Not my strength, but His. Not my plans, but His.

So for now, I will be gradually beginning to cover the grays, and getting back to physically working out my aging body after healing from this surgery.

And Though our physical beings will wear out, may our spiritual beings shine brighter than ever from one decade to the next... ❤️🙌🏻

One of my favorite Casting Crowns songs perfectly sums up the brevity of this life and the God that holds us all:

I am a flower quickly fading

Here today and gone tomorrow

A wave tossed in the ocean

A vapor in the wind

Still You hear me when I'm calling

Lord, You catch me when I'm falling

And You've told me who I am...

I am Yours, I am Yours.

Sending much love to you all today! 

The Crib

 

The crib pictured above has served as the sleeping quarters for two of the dearest souls on Earth. Soon, it won’t be needed any longer. Admittedly, we have kept our daughter there longer than we planned.

As emotional as it makes me to admit that babyhood is now in our past, I have made a certain peace with it (only slightly weepy as I type this).   For I do know, its passing has meant no more diapers or nightly wakings. My own body is certainly thankful we are “done.”

In some moments of clarity recently, I can surely say that most of life is passed in eras just like this. We bid goodbye to yesterday and step into a new tomorrow constantly. No matter if the crib is in your past, present, or future, you can still relate to the idea that in good times or hard times, no matter how long a season seems to endure, “this too shall pass.”

This too shall pass, or “TTSP” as I have heard it quoted, is a mantra worth holding onto these days.  For the tougher moments, it is a way to cope and see light ahead. 

Are your mornings rushed and hectic with the loading of kids and backpacks into the car?  If so, TTSP...

Has the pandemic stretched you so thin at work that you are a shell of yourself by the time you get home?  If so, TTSP...

For the sweeter times, it is a valid reminder to hold onto the present moment.

Does your little girl ask to paint your nails weekly? 

Does your son still enjoy a bedtime story?  

Are the kids still thrilled to run in the sprinkler?  To all of these, TTSP...

You and I both know that time marches on, no matter what stage we find ourselves. 

Let’s praise God for that.  I, personally, have to be careful not put myself in a cycle of mourning every time we approach a “last” in any given era.

God’s desire could not be stagnancy. One just needs to remember the swirling ocean currents, the moon phases, seasons, births, deaths, dawns , and dusks to know that His design is always of renewal. And in each phase, there is good and there is purpose—- even when it is painful.

Ecclesiastes 3 states it perfectly:

“Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. 

He sets the time for birth and the time for death, the time for planting and the time for pulling up, the time for killing and the time for healing, the time for tearing down and the time for building. 

He sets the time for sorrow and the time for joy, the time for mourning and the time for dancing, the time for making love and the time for not making love, the time for kissing and the time for not kissing. 

He sets the time for finding and the time for losing, the time for saving and the time for throwing away, the time for tearing and the time for mending, the time for silence and the time for talk. 

He sets the time for love and the time for hate, the time for war and the time for peace.”

‭‭

And you know what these verses do for me? 

• They bring to light that I am not the orchestrator of it all. What a relief!

• Although each special moment with my family or work is valuable, it is not the BIG picture—- just like each difficult moment with my family or work is taxing, it is not the BIG picture. Again, what a relief!

The truth is: the difficulties and joys of every era can and should bring us closer to the Creator of our days.  Wherever you find yourself today, I pray the hope of a loving God holds you, and His presence ushers you into whatever is next.

The challenge in every new day, and eventual era, is to accept it ALL with the help of God.  To faithfully invite Him into it, and with all you have, avoid the distractions that lead us into the holding too closely to the things of this world.

Bring on the big girl bed. ☺️

 

Humble But Revolutionary

These are dark times for us, for the world. It is much safer to come home and shut the garage door and turn on the TV. It is much easier to make merry with your immediate family and forget the world at large right now. Admittedly, our little family has been really playing it safe with COVID looming so broadly in our local area. 

Here, 2 weeks away from Christmas, the darkness is closing in as we see this virus ramp up in a way that it hasn’t yet. We know hope is coming in the form of a vaccine—- praise God! But in the meantime, I can’t help but think of how the timing of Christmas can and should impact our storyline right now.  

I have once heard it said that the Bible is really an account of evidence of God’s relentless love for the world.  His constant desire to reach out and love us stands true through Genesis to Matthew- where it peaks in a humble, but revolutionary way when Jesus, Immanuel, is born. I love that Immanuel means, “God Is With Us.” And if we ever needed to know that God was with us, well- it is now, December of 2020. 

As a follower of this Jesus, this Savior, I know that we have a part to play in God’s plan of love in the darkest of places. Also in a humble, but revolutionary way, we can be the light of Christ. We have a social responsibility to love others and point them to the Savior. 

One prayer that I pray often is that, “Others would know Jesus, because they know me.”

Several years back, my husband and I knew a man who frequented our favorite restaurant on Friday evenings as we did (before children). He was friendly as could be and in months, we came to enjoy seeing him weekly as we had our dinners next to each other. Eventually, the holidays were upon us, and it dawned on me to get him some gourmet salsa and lay it on his doorstep as a means of wishing him a Merry Christmas. You know that almost 10 years later, when we see him, only occasionally these days, he STILL thanks us for it?  I mention this because that simple act of placing a $5.99 jar of salsa on his porch, was evidence of a love of our Creator...not of my invention but of God’s loving inspiration.

If each believer saw him or herself as a conduit of God’s love in tangible, meaningful ways, our darkness would be a little less dark this December. 

Any humble kindness can be revolutionary for someone right now.

Your ability to love others is not limited by the current situation, your wallet, or your inability to fly to a third-world country and build shelters right now.  Likewise, your ability to love others only depends on your availability and willingness to do so to anyone who might need it. We are all in need of it.

Just as a crude stable in small rural town burst forth with the love of our Creator that first Christmas night, a bag or note you thoughtfully place on a doorstep could show that very same relentless love to a dark and depressed world. 

For those of us who do proclaim to love Jesus, here are some piercing questions:

Do others know His love because of you?

Has the love of Jesus made a difference in your life?

Who is in need of a humble, but revolutionary porch drop-off ?

We were recently the recipients of many such porch drop-offs and I can tell you that when you are down and out, and your work buddy sends hot chocolate or your neighbors surprise you with donuts or your sister sets down a whole turkey dinner on your steps, you are fulfilled and valued and held in a love that ties us all together. 

What a beautiful thing.  I believe this is what God hopes we will do! John 13:35 states, “If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”  

And love isn’t at its best unless those good intentions are put into action.

In these difficult times, at this very sacred time of year, I hope you get to safely and genuinely share the love and light of our good God. It’s not about the salsa, it is about the hope you ignite to brighten this darkest of Decembers.

🎄🎄🎄Merriest Christmas to my friends. May others know Jesus because they know you & me. 🎄🎄🎄

‭‭