Fat Robin

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." Romans 8:26

I saw a fat robin sitting on a fence under a tree yesterday and thought, "That's me."  

I'm looking to get comfortable between the danger on the ground and the needs in the nest.  I don't long to soar or bring home the worms. There's not enough get up and go in these wings to spread them and I can't think of a single springtime tune to trill. This fat Robin just wants to sit here and groan.

Now, as a child of God, I know I'm going to be miserable if I sit on this splintery fence too long.  God didn't give me wings to hang 10 (or is it 8?) on a rail forever. Nope. Something's got to give and it's got to be me. So, 

Note to self: 

Do you not know?                                          (What?)

     Have you not heard?                                 (Tell me!) 

The LORD is the everlasting God,                     (but . . . )

     the Creator of the ends of the earth.           (that's amazing!)      

He will not grow tired or weary,                       (even though I do)

     and His understanding no one can fathom.   (I don't understand . . .)

He gives strength to the weary                        (I'll take two -)

     and increases the power of the weak.          (Weak as water, Lord, feel                                                                         free to amp it up.)

Even youths grow tired and weary,                   (So what hope is there for

     and young men stumble and fall;                   a fat bird on a fence?)

but those who hope in the LORD                      (I want to, LORD)

     will renew their strength.                           (Hope in the LORD=strength)

They will soar on wings like eagles;                  (That's a great goal)

     they will run and not grow weary,                (Maybe soon)

     they will walk and not be faint.                   (That could happen today.)   

Isaiah 40:28-31

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

If, in the very near future, you see a fat robin walking along a fence or running down the rail and shaking our her feathers to take off - don't laugh, just ask God to help her remember Who lifts and empowers His children.

Lord God, I glory in my weakness: I'm nothing without You.  You alone are the strength and wisdom I need. May Your power rest on me as I rest in You. Fill me with Your Spirit so I can release the fence and walk, then run, then soar in Your strength.   May we free You to free us: pry our toes off the fence, build the muscles in our legs, and unfurl our rusty wings.

In the Name of Jesus Who ascended!

God's Economy

     I'm in search of a new cliche to state the idea for "killing two birds with one stone" in a positive way. (I'm aware that "new cliche" is an oxymoron since "cliche" by definition means worn out phrase.) For example, I recently rolled in blessings as the Lord worked out details so I could visit with many friends in one trip.  I suppose people who eat birds feel like they're rolling in blessings when they  "kill two birds with one stone," but I'd like a less violent way to describe layered blessings.
     In God's economy, we all benefit from each other's small investments.  He takes the sack lunches we offer Him and multiplies them to feed us and other people from the bounty.  God didn't let the boy who provided the picnic on the mountainside go hungry and become weak. In return, he received an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet and probably grinned like a Cheshire cat as he watched the hillside crowd benefit from his gift. God uses whatever we'll give Him today to draw us into an amazing cycle of simultaneous giving and receiving on multiple levels.  

     Mary began at Jesus' feet and He blessed her while her sister, Martha, started in the kitchen to end up irritable, fatigued and jealous. Symptoms of exhaustion, grumpiness, jealousy, irritation, or acting like a martyr reveal we're starting in the kitchen instead of at Jesus' Feet to be filled with His Joy and Strength. According to the birds and stone analogy, we can take out whole flocks of birds (bless multitudes of people) when we're working in His strength and not our own.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in You, . . .

They go from  strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion."  

Psalm 84:7

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."   

Galatians 5:22-23

Large With Strength

"Thank You for Your love,

Thank You for Your faithfulness;

Most holy is Your Name,

Most holy is Your Word.

"The moment I called out, You stepped in; 

You made my life large with strength."

Psalm 138:3 (The Message)

     My graduation certificate from Physical Therapy arrived in the mail yesterday and deserves the same amount of wall space as anything I've ever earned. So, today I thought I'd see just how much I've improved now that I'm a pro, a grad, by pitching things into the corner of the fence where the bamboo grows. All three tosses hit their mark.  Amazing, three months later what was broken is healed, what was weak is strong, what was shaky is steady.  In June, I was sure I'd never do much with this arm again and in September, I find I was wrong.  

     Did it take a piece of paper to tell me I could do that?  Could I have been tossing things far and wide yesterday? Last week? Two weeks ago?  Maybe so, and that's my problem.  In spite of all the times God has made me "large with strength" before this bummer of a summer, I didn't realize I was still waiting for visible evidence and the go-ahead nod from an expert before testing my strength.  

     If you've just hit bottom or you're looking at the long middle of a difficult valley, what you see is not what you get in the end.  When we keep calling out to the Lord, September arrives and we see how God has made us large with strength. If we immerse ourselves in growing in His grace, in fervently praying His Word, and in allowing Him to work out His Loving purposes in us, the valley becomes the place He heals, strengthens, and steadies us. 

     Father, we want out of the valleys.  We confess: we don't want to be strong or stronger; we want out.  But You have plans to make us "large with strength" to keep us from walking through life afraid or uncertain. You allow the valleys to make us able to praise You in any circumstance and so we'll call out to You to fill us with faith.  Thank You for Your love, for Your faithfulness.  We call and You step in - not always to lift us out of crises, but to strengthen us through them.  Give us the wisdom to accept what You're doing in us and to understand that what we see in the valley isn't what we get permanently. Help us act on the strength You provide.

In the the Name of Jesus Who, because He knew heaven lay ahead of Him,  was able to suffer merciless torture before carrying His own cross up a hill to die a death He didn't deserve.  

Thursday, August 25, 2011 - Me, Myself and I Aren't Speaking

"Come to Me all you who labor and are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

    Transitions look so much smoother on paper.  Distances appear closer on a map and  fool you into thinking a group of first or fifth graders can get from point A to point B and still accomplish something worthwhile in 15 minutes. Praise God many of our kids' choir classes last night had good experiences, but for the most part, working out the logistics, dealing with emergencies and trying to calm excited children left little time for learning.  I came home whispering "mercy" more times than I care to mention.   
     Running on four hours sleep didn't help since I'm less than my best when I'm tired in body and weary in soul. As a result, "Me," "Myself" and "I" aren't speaking to each other.  I find that if I listen to myself when I'm in this mode I only sink further into self-blame, blaming others, frustration, tears, and "fight and flight," instead of one or the other.  When I'm weary and burdened, overwhelmed or frustrated, it's best to do what Lucado says: "Stop talking to yourself. Talk to Christ, who invites." 
     "I" says "I can't" while "Me" wants to know what's in it for her and "Myself" only worries about what others think, so nothing worthwhile is accomplished until they all go to Jesus and let Him unite them in His Healing Peace and Hope. No tea parties or girls' night out for these three until they sit together at Jesus' feet in praise and prayer mode, handing Him every little logistical and technical difficulty to smooth. 

"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

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? 

Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him." 

Psalm 43:5

Lord, I fall at Your Feet today, praising You that You call me to bring every petition to You.  Clap Your Hand over my mouth and mind when I'm not speaking in problem-solving ways. Lift my spiritual eyes to see You and open my heart to embrace You. Strengthen our immunity to Satan's favorite tool of discouragement. May we stop listening to ourselves and to his influence as we turn ourselves fully to You in faithful praise and petition. Thank You for loving us enough to call us to You on both our best and worst days and all the days between them.

In the Name of Jesus Who trampled the temptation to quit or become discouraged!

Inspired by Live Loved, by Max Lucado and my own shortcomings

photo from Google images