Thought For Today, February 26, 2017

Why Not Me?

In Another's Eyes

Isn’t it amazing to know what other people think about you, to see yourself through their eyes while they see someone totally different than the you you thought you were?

Case in point:  yesterday at the dermatologist’s office when getting my annual checkup, I was not happy.  Fearful.  My trepidation was at an all-time high because...well, just sometimes you know that there is going to be something found that you wished was not in existence.  I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve (no matter how many times I try to wear a garment that is sleeveless!) and as I was being examined, the nursing assistant glibly said, “See.  We’re 40% done and no problems yet!”  During the preliminary account of why I was there, I had explained to her that trouble loomed.  Though I said it jokingly, the underlying uneasiness was there, just under the surface, but we were strangers and she didn’t really pick up on it.

“Yeah,”   I said, “but now we’re getting to my face.  That’s where the problems start.”  I still had on my smile but my anxiety was pushing its way up.

Katie, my doctor who apparently had been given the preliminary account of why I was there for today’s visit, continued her exam, murmuring what she thought were encouraging words.  I tried to follow her lead as each troubled area I had notified the nurse of beforehand turned out to be fine.  “Great!  Maybe the rest won’t be bad either.  Oh, I hope that they won’t; that it’s just my imaginations.”  

The banter continued, even when she started getting closer and closer with that magnifying glass.  The two spots I thought were going to do me in?  Well, sure, that one could use a little freezing--just to be safe-- and the other one, the one she could barely see, it was fine too, Katie said, and I breathed a sigh of relief.  As I exhaled and explained how usually twice a week I had to flake off the what-I-hoped-were-just-dry-skin-particles of my flesh, Katie said “You are the most hopeful person I know!  Every time I see you, you are full of hope that these places aren’t going to be bad.”  Dumbfounded, my eyes found Steve’s as I looked at him with my “Does-this-woman-know-me-at-all” baby blues that reflected my perplexed thoughts.

Long story short, my fears were confirmed.  As Katie continued looking at that “nothing” spot and scraping it with her fingernail, she determined it indeed needed to be biopsied.  Great.  And then, as if that wasn’t enough, she found another place above my lip that greatly concerned her.  I hadn’t even noticed it and felt the dread rise again.  Basal cell.  99% sure it would need the Moh’s Surgery.  Katie fixed her eyes on Steve as my “hopeful” words that maybe it was just a fluke faded into my own private chamber of terror.

Sigh.

You know that verse from 2 Corinthians 13:5 about examining yourself?  It was running through my head as I questioned how I could have missed this spot, how it was so obvious to my doctor and yet Steve nor I had even given it a passing glance.  Seriously, I have had four Moh’s surgeries on my face, as well as the “blue light special” that was supposed to remove so many of these precancerous blights.  Not to even mention all of those places I had already had frozen off from my face.  So, how in the world could I have missed this one?!

{Sidebar:  this also makes the verse about seeing the mote in my brother's eye and missing the plank in my own (Matthew 7:5)}

Sigh.

“You are the most hopeful person I know.”  That was Katie’s take on me when she had begun my routine exam.   She saw something in me that I didn’t.  And I don’t just mean the basal cell.  Her appraisal of me--outwardly--revealed a hopeful soul that looked for the good, that hoped for better things to come, and one who was ready and willing to push aside the things that try to make one stumble.  We see each other roughly once a year (well, twice if you count when I go back for the follow-up surgeries that are performed by her colleague).  Somehow when I am with this kind lady I have projected an attitude that is pleasing.  She saw good in me.

As mentioned above, when I had inspected myself, I didn’t find this blight on my skin that is going to require further attention.  I saw other infractions that in Katie’s eyes weren’t there or were only superficial.  Things gals like me have to deal with as a part of life but that don’t take away from the quality of my life as a whole.

Is any of this making sense?  Katie--with her trained eyes and advanced understanding of the human body--saw things from my soul that I had failed to believe existed.  Katie--again, with her trained eyes--also saw things that needed fixed, that needed more help than she could give.  Her part was to evaluate.  It’s up to the surgeon to remove the cancer.  Kind of like what God does to us, right?  We see in part; He sees in whole.  We examine ourselves but He is Who fixes us.  Our wounded flesh and our deeply rooted sins can only be removed by God.  While we deal with the exterior, He takes care of the interior areas of our beings that need His expert touch.

In closing, I appreciate the words Katie spoke to me that made me reflect more on how I present myself to the world.  Yes indeed, man does look on the outward appearance.  However, every once in a while, man sees something more, something truer, and something that helps him to believe there is more than meets the eye.  Katie saw me as being not just hopeful, but “the most hopeful” person she has met.  Wow.  She sees me once a year and has made this assumption.  What about those who see me more often? What am I projecting to them?  Is it positive or negative? Do I let Jesus out or keep Him buried deep inside?  Hmn hmn hmn.

Let’s pray!

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.  Lord, the words to this song are meaningful in that Christ Jesus is the only avenue of hope.  Man cannot save me or fix me or assure me.  Only You can.  

As I go through my days, remind me that others only get small pieces of me, outward showings that they judge me by.  Oh Lord:  help me to reflect You and not my own negativity, my own weaknesses, nor my own sinful self.  Shine through me, Lord, so that others see You when glancing my way.  Speak through me so that they hear Your voice of love, of strength, of compassion.  Seep through me, Father, that Your presence comes through every pore of my being and draws others to You is my plea.  I ask these things in the name of Christ Jesus:  amen!

No Surprise

As I am sitting here this morning, trying to get focused, I hear a bunch of sirens.  A bunch!  I wondered what was going on, whose life was about to be changed, and how many people were frantically going to be calling on God to help in this time of need.  I started to offer up my own prayers for this unknown potential catastrophe when the following thoughts went through my mind.  Bear with me as I ponder through them, will you?

I imagined the scene in heaven.  God on His throne; Jesus at His right hand.  Then I pictured something similar to a board meeting, with the angels gathered around the table, taking notes, and volunteering for assignments as the day’s agenda was read.

Okay, folks, today is going to be another busy one.  A tornado is going to hit the midwest around daybreak.  Homes and lives will be lost, and many people will be out of work for a while because the plants will be temporarily shut down as repairs will be needed to be made.  I’m going to need some comforters to go out and ease the minds of My children.  Who wants this one?

Several angels raise their winged hands and are making notes on how to best offer their touch of solace to these souls who will be feeling bereft.

Also, today will be another one that brings grief to many wives who will unexpectedly lose their husbands today.  While it breaks My heart to see this temporary separation, I need some of you to go out and remind these kids of Mine that I am here, that comfort will be found, and that My strength will carry them through.  Ahh, thank you, angels, for your service.  I see that you are just the right ones to accomplish this task.

Next, today is My day.  Many of My children will be entering into worship centers all over the land.  Voices will be raised in praise to Me.  Lessons will be taught to My little lambs and sermons will be preached to encourage those on the fence posts to make the decision to follow Me.  I need a few of you to be nudgers today:  to gently guide the ones who will need just a little extra prodding to come to the altar or to make the private decision to accept My Son as their Saviour.  Great!  I see your willingness and I appreciate you!

The prayers are already pouring in from My children.  I love when they call on Me!  

As always though, the devil is sneaking around, stalking My people, seeking whom he can devour.  He’s extra tricky these days and I need My saints to be on guard as never before.  Satan is trying to defeat them through sickness, through financial difficulties, and through the destruction of the family as many of their children will be rebelling against them today, cutting off ties with them, and some will even be deliberately spiteful as they make the choice to break their parents’ hearts.  Sigh.  This troubles Me but I know that there is a purpose for this.  What I need you to do, Angels, is to place some reminders in My loved ones’ paths to show them that We’ve got this and that while it seems hopeless, it isn’t.  Show them My Word.  Use those songs sung of Me to echo in their minds.  Use My saints to encourage them.  Guide them to Me and not to the bottle, to the drugs, or to the other vices they might think alleviate their pains.  

I’m sure the meeting goes on as more and more events will be discussed and as angels will soon be sent to take care of the oh-so-many needs.  The thing you and I must remember is this:  none of this takes God by surprise.  The diagnoses of cancer and other diseases, the car wrecks, the house fires, death, the accidents from playing, the breaking up of families, the self-mutilation, the wars...All of these things are under God’s constant watch and while we are often jolted by the unexpected, He isn’t.  Although it’s often hard to not get excited, to wring our hands, to beg others to pray immediately for our trials, and to believe these emergencies need God’s instant attention, He already knows.  He already sees.  He’s got His angels on standby, ready to attend to the needs we have, and as if all of this isn’t enough, His very Son Jesus is right beside of Him, praying on our behalfs, asking His Father to intercede when our prayers aren’t able to be uttered because our standing with God just might not be as wonderful as it should be.

Relax friends.  Trust.  Submit to God and resist the devil.  Be still and know:  know that He is God and that nothing--NOTHING--escapes His careful eye.  When you are tried, may you be found faithful today is my prayer.  When you are tested, may the strength from Christ fill you with the power to stand.  And when all you can do is stand?  Remember to not lose heart and that:  

“...we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:7-18 ESV.

Let’s pray.

Dear Father, I know it’s easy to tell others to trust when my life is not the one being hammered against.  I know it’s hard for people to not feel as if these hardships are something new and have never been experienced before and thus require Your immediate attention.  I know You and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not caught off-guard by anything that takes place and I thank You for this.  I thank You for already having these things mapped out, for already having the situation under control--even though we feel like chaos is all around and that divine intervention is needed.  

You are needed, Lord God.  You are the One to Whom we pray and cry out to and trust in.  You are the One we believe and hope in.  You are the Comforter and the Lover of our souls.  Oh that we would fix our eyes on You and place our selves completely in Your hands!  Father, we are weak but Christ in us is strong.  Help us, Sweet Lord, to rely on You and not man, not self, and not temporary fixes that only break us more.

May You be high and lifted up today.  May Your name be on more people’s lips in praise and prayer.  May You be worshiped today and every day is my hope, Lord.  In the precious name above all others, Jesus Christ, I pray.  Amen.

More Abundantly

Exclamation marks.  What is it about them that makes us pay more attention to the sentence when one of these is at the end of them?  Oh, I know:  it’s because they are used to express strong emotion.  For instance, when “I love you” is only followed by a period it doesn’t quite have the effect that “I love you!” does.  Right?

I’ve been reading the Psalms in my morning Bible study time and am reacquainting myself with the emotions that these writers conveyed through their words.  Desperation, despair, grief, and loneliness are key topics but also there is the theme of redemption, of hope, and of love weaved through them.  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times:  there is such a relief and release in writing.  I’ll say it again:  there is such a relief and release in writing!  May I encourage you to let your voices be heard through the written word as you go through whatever it is you are feeling?  Happy, sad, good, bad, doubts, hopes, fears, and so on.  When you write these things down, you are more able to focus on what you feel, why you feel that way, and then?  Then you are more prone to examine yourself and see if there is any validity to your emotions.  

What?

Seriously.  Sometimes we just want to be mad.  Sometimes we just want to keep going to those Pity Parties For One.  Sometimes we even just want to pout and blame others for things that--dare I say it?  Yes, I think I do dare!--things that we bring on ourselves that could be avoided if we’d look up instead of on self all the time.  Friends, don’t be fooled:  the devil is out to steal your joy.  Why make it easy for him?  Jesus came that we might have life--and this is crucial so don’t miss it!!--and have it more abundantly.  MORE ABUNDANTLY!  He wants to give us more, not take away what we already have.  How groovy is that?!

2 Corinthians 9:15 – “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Psalm 15:3 --“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable!”

I John 3:1--“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

Romans 11:33 – “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

Psalm 32:19 – “Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!”

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!  How wonderful You are to bless us the ways that You do.  Thank You, Father, for extra emphasis in Your examples to us that we know beyond reason that You are in control, that You love us, and that You...that You care so much about us, individually, that You constantly give to us what we need, when we need it, and as much of it as we can stand.

You are so good to Your children, Lord, and I praise You and lift my hands to glorify You as my heart sings “How Great Thou Art!”  I love You!  Amen.

You’ve Just Been Stefanied

Have you ever Googled yourself?  I have.  The other night during one of those restless times, I was bored and pondering about the inability to find background information on something I have been wondering about, so for fun I put my first name in the search bar and came upon the Urban Dictionary site, where--to my amusement (and also to my chagrin)--there I was, in black and white, defined for all the world to see.  Sort of.

For you see, this isn’t a “real” dictionary and the explanations in it are based on others’ experiences with certain topics, such as people’s names.  Now, I’ll admit it, the first “definition”  for my name was a bit offsetting so I went on to the second one, which was much more flattering and I liked it.  A lot!  It went like this:

Stefanie, without a doubt, is the perfect woman. Full of life and laughter. She has a smile that can light up a dark room. Beautiful on the outside and beautiful within, she's flawless and her beauty stands out. Sweet, caring, funny, smart, classy and determined. Stefanie always gets what she wants. She may be sweet but don't take her kindness for a weakness, she stands her ground. Once you meet a real Stefanie, don't ever let her go. Stefanie is unforgettable.  Stefanie is unforgettably gorgeous inside and out.

Nice, huh?  Who wouldn’t want to be a Stefanie, based on this?  Not so fast, though.  I kept reading and was not as pleased with some of the other remarks.  Case in point:

To give a harsh remark that was uncalled for.
A spiteful remark
Being able to speak your mind and not caring whether or not you hurt someone while doing it.

The most fake person you could ever be friends with. Often pretends to be nice towards others, but as soon as their backs are turned, she says everything mean about them, thinking they won't find out.

Girl: Did you hear what happened to Jenni?
Boy: Yeah, I heard she got "Stefanied."

See what I mean?  “I just got Stefanied” is not quite what I want to be known for, to be branded by, or to be someone’s byword according to these definitions.

As I was doing my morning reading, I turned to Psalm 69.  It described how David felt when he was trying so hard to live for the Lord and yet the opposition was all around him, trying to make him stumble, keeping him separated from those he cared most about.  He even wrote that “I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mother’s children” (verse 8).  Ouch.  If that doesn’t hurt--to not be considered as “family” anymore--then I don’t know what does.  And sadly, on this point, I can relate all too well to David’s angst.

As I thought through my own displacement from the family I grew up with and others I am estranged from, I contemplated if they felt they had been “Stefanied.”  This led me to thinking about my current acquaintances and friends and wondering:  would they be more prone to think kindly of me--as in the first definition--or (gulp!) would they be more apt to find me scornful, fake, causing hurt, and speaking with spite?  I shuddered then and am shuddering now.  

Friends, our names are our walking testimonies.  When others introduce us, the tone of voice that is used often depicts the internal emotions they feel towards us.  When they talk about us to others, that same intonation can be used to lead others to us or have them running for the hills when they see us coming.  Proverbs 22:1 tells us “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.”  As we go about our journeys, let’s ensure that we are leaving behind a pleasant aroma to those whom we come in contact with.  Then, when people say “You’ve just been ___________ “ (fill in the blank with your name) it will be a joyful thing rather than one that makes you write your own psalm of sorrow.

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, for all of the times I have left a bad taste in others’ mouths, hearts, and minds I am so sorry!  I know I cannot change the past but the present?  Oh yes, Father, with Your help and guidance, I can “Stefanie” others so that indeed they think they have been around someone special, someone lovely, and someone unforgettably gorgeous inside and out.

This is my prayer and I ask it so that I may reflect more and more of You, through Christ Jesus, the most lovely of all.  Amen.

I Don't Want To Settle For Good Not Great

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  James 1:22

Most of us are familiar with the story of Pinocchio, right?  Jiminy Cricket tells the story of a wish coming true about a puppet becoming a real live boy.  The Blue Fairy visits Geppetto’s workshop during the night and brings Pinocchio to life, but until Pinocchio proves himself to be brave, truthful, and unselfish, he will stay as a puppet.  As the story progresses, we find that Pinocchio has issues with telling the truth, which causes his nose to grow longer each time a lie is told.  It’s a good story on morality and will be the background theme for today’s blog.

Okay, be warned: it’s going to get real here.  Hang on and follow me as I delve into my own issues with truth.  I might need to put my boots on!

The other night I began a writing class.  One of the things that the teacher alluded to was the concept of branding.  For those not familiar with branding, basically it’s a way of marketing yourself.  We all know that everything you read on Facebook is true, right?  Yeah.  But truthfully, many of us take at face value what we read as gospel and often quote it to one another as such.  Much of this is because we are too lazy to investigate for ourselves, preferring to take someone else’s word over things, and believing what is “presented” instead of seeking the validity of it.  I mean honestly, how many times have you seen a headline or meme or portion of a story and immediately accepted it without reading the entire story itself to see what was real versus what was proclaimed?  We’re just so busy that we neglect to seek these statements out for ourselves, so we accept without hesitation what the headlines proclaim.

Therefore, when introducing ourselves to others in print, we can embellish our talents, our skills, and who we are and others will just eat it up.  For instance, our teacher told us he was a renowned traveler, journalist, and so on, making himself sound like he was really something and because it was right there, in black and white for the whole world to see, who was going to question it?  It sounded impressive--HE sounded impressive so, of course, we swallowed it and began to blindly believe whatever words came out of his mouth.  This is branding.

The next day in my Bible Study group, one of my dear friends referred to me as “the favorite aunt.”  We had a new lady join our group and as we were discussing age and kids and grandkids, Kristy told me I was more like everyone’s favorite aunt, rather than an old granny (my words, not hers).  Have I mentioned I just love this girl?!  As I tucked this away to reflect upon later, I wondered about how I was going to brand myself for this new chapter of my life that I am embarking upon.

I like to think I am a pretty nice woman.  Fair.  Able to see both sides of the story before spouting off my opinions about whatever situation has been addressed.  I like to think I have sense, integrity, and the ability to love without being too judgmental.  I like to think that I am modeling Christ in my daily activities and making Him proud of the woman I am endeavoring to be.  Friendly, warm, and someone others are comfortable around.  Yeah, this is me and I have got it going on.

Right.

What about the other night at the restaurant, Stef, when that waitress somehow took an instant disliking to you?  How did that happen?  Where were all of those wonderful traits you just described about yourself when she was attending to you?  Could it be you were projecting an attitude of self-importance and that your needs must be taken care of before anyone else’s?  What was just so special about you that instead of falling all over herself to make sure your every wish was granted she seemed to do all she could to avoid being in your presence?  

Choke.  

Ouch.

Truth.

Sigh.

As he so often does without any falseness in his demeanour, along comes my hubby who is just so much higher than I am.  While I told him of my waitress woes and to not be in a hurry to get our order taken, what does he do but treat the gal with exceptional kindness and compassion?  Oh sure:  he too had had a rough day and suffered harsh words thrown at him.  He could very well have joined in with me in my rant against humanity and how poorly his hard-earned dollars were being wasted at a place that didn’t value and appreciate our presence but instead...instead he made a point of being nice, of asking the lady how her day was, and treating her like the one who needed attending to rather than him being the customer.

I was mortified.  Again.  Just who did I really think I was?  Regardless and sometimes in spite of how others treat me, it is not my place to be rude, to complain, nor to speak badly of them.  Had I not just been writing about how wonderful I was and how great of a representative of Christ Jesus I am?  Yeah.  Epic fail.

With dismay and a heavy sense of regret for this huge lapse, I told Steve I needed something from him.  For each time I even think of getting out of line or thinking of myself more highly than I ought, I asked him to say these words to me:  “Remember who you are.”  And then, if that didn’t get me to instantly straighten up, I told him to say this to me:  “Remember Whose you are.”  Firmly.

How grateful to God I am that each time I fail Him He doesn’t cause a disfigurement, such as the extending of my nose, as per Pinocchio.  How thankful I am to Him that He has earthly examples to show me how to live more like Him and less like the world.  How ashamed I am to call myself His child, His bride, when my actions prove otherwise.  

Sigh.

So, if I was to write a brief brand for myself right now what would it say?  Hmn.  Perhaps this:  Stefanie Hutcheson is a wandering soul on a mission to become more like Christ.  While not there yet, she is learning, growing, and seeking truth through her interactions with others, with her writings, and mostly with the studying of God’s Word as her journey continues.  While she has no awards to prove this, one day a crown will be waiting for her that she may return to her Jesus for His faithfulness in making her worthy through His own righteousness.  

Let’s pray.

Dear Lord, I don’t want to be a hearer of Your Word and think I have it down pat only to go out into the world and disregard the truths You have revealed to me.  I don’t want to attend Bible Study and church services to only walk away unchanged and still doing the things I think are right in my own eyes.  I don’t want to be a hypocrite, writing this blog and encouraging others to be more when I myself am less.  People follow examples, Lord, and You have been the Perfect One.  Help me today--each moment of today and whatever days You allow me--to remember I am Yours.  I am a child of God and the future bride of Christ.  It’s time I started acting like it for it’s a privilege not given to all.  As I strive to achieve this position of honor, I need You every hour, every minute, to help me to remember what price was paid so that I could be Yours.  I fail too often, Lord.  Thank You for tender mercies that allow me more opportunities to get it right the next time.  In Jesus’ name I humbly pray:  amen.

He Loved Me Ere I Knew Him

Do you really believe that all things work together for good to those who love Christ?  I do!  

Case in point:  yesterday I was compelled to look over some of my previous writings and came across several that touched me, saddened me, and/or made me reflect on how far I have come.  As I read through several of these stories, many highs and lows were there but instead of dwelling on them and letting them control my thoughts and feelings as they had been prone to do in the past, I set them aside.  I went on about my day and didn’t give them a second thought.

Imagine my surprise and delight--which was one of the key points to last night’s message but wasn’t revealed until after this song had been sung--when voila`!  Once again God showed Himself mighty and made something so clear to me that I just marvelled then and am still dazedly shaking my head at the simplicity of it.  We sang the song “Victory in Jesus” and as the chorus echoed around me, these words stood out:  He loved me ere I knew Him.  No big deal, right?  I mean, haven’t we all sung these words hundreds of times before and just assumed that of course Jesus loved us?  I mean, after all, why would He have created us if not because of love?

And then I remembered.  I remembered the story from earlier that I had read.  It was about my first grandson’s impending arrival.  Oh, how excited I was!  How happy, thrilled, and ecstatic I was that a precious child was being added to my family.  I had been given the opportunity to see this babe while still in Mama’s womb and I was already enraptured.  While the ultrasound was grainy and truthfully I had to have the technician’s assistance to see, there he was.  This tiny little glob of cells and DNA and flesh and blood and...hope.  Love.  

Excitement built within me as I thought of all of the things to teach this kid, the songs to sing, the stories to tell, the memories to make, the preparations, the wondering of how much I’d get to be in his life...On and on my thoughts ran and the wonder of creation.  

So, in conclusion, as the congregation and I sang this song last night, the words “He loved me ere I knew Him” really sank in.  Much more than the overwhelming affection I was feeling for this soon-to-be-grandchild was the love that God had for me.  Before the foundations of the world, He was planning for my arrival.  Before He took the dust to form me, He loved me.  And just as my grandchild had no idea about me until he learned about me after his birth and through his life, the love was already present, already waiting, already being fulfilled.  I didn’t know Jesus first.  I had to hear about Him, to be introduced to Him, to accept this love He so wanted to give to me.  I had to be taught to love Him because He was a stranger to me, just as children are to their parents.  They learn love from being held, from being taken care of, and smooched upon.  They learn what security means--and dependence as well.  They have no idea how much they are cherished until one day it all clicks and those three words we say often so casually make sense:  I love you.  And then when they are repeated back to us?  Oh my!

Jesus loved us first.  “We love Him because He first loved us” is how John the Beloved explained it in his first epistle, chapter four and verse nineteen. Eugene Monroe Bartlett wrote the song “Victory in Jesus” to share further that truth.  And yours and my responsibility is to continue in love (Hebrews 13:1).  We have the best Teacher.  Let’s fulfill His commandment to love one another as He loved us, shall we?  I think so too!

Let’s pray!

Dear Father God, how precious You are to me!  The constant ways You show me--remind me--of just how special I am to You confound me.  It’s not easy for me, as You know, to feel adored but here lately You seem to be making that more and more clear to me.  Even though Your Word tells me, it’s often hard for me to accept such tenderness and mercy because I feel so undeserving.

As I strive to be more like Christ Jesus, I ask You to keep giving me these flashes, these insights, and these revelations of the promises You made and make them personal like in this song because, hard as it is for me to sometimes believe, You do love me.  You loved me first and have taught me how to love in return.  Oh what a gift!  May I pay-it-forward without hesitation is my hope today.  In the name of Jesus I pray:  amen.

PS

I love You too!

Persepctive, Part Two

So, as I am telling Steve about my blog, lo and behold, what light doth from yonder window breaks?  Yep, you guessed it:  the sun rise!  While I was busy reflecting on what my neighbours COULD NOT see, I forgot about what they COULD see from their vantage point, just at a different time of the day.  Hmn:  timing.  It certainly has its way of changing the perspective of things, now doesn't it?                                                              

So, as I am busy pondering that one, another thought comes to me:  movement.  As I was so busy waiting for the sun to rise so I could add this addendum to my blog, I was impatient, wondering if it was ever going to come out.  I went back and forth, from the bathroom window to the back porch, awaiting its arrival.  It was cold out there and I was getting a little aggravated, wondering why the sun wasn’t cooperating with me.  I stepped to my right and...there it was.  The brilliance of it nearly blinded me but, you see, I had to move.  Just a little to my right.  Just had to look past the trees and there, right there it was.  

Mmn hmn.  

Reminds me of that song by FFH “Lord Move...Or Move Me.”  Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone (even if that means stepping into the cold) to see the big picture:  to see the Son.  

Anyways, just thought I’d add these thoughts to this morning’s blog.  Hope you enjoy them!

Perspective

If you were to ask my neighbours what the big deal is, why I keep staring so intently at their house, day after day, week after week, I am sure they would be dumbfounded to know that I do so because of all of the marvelous sunsets I am witnessing just beyond their vantage point.  I mean, after all, we share the same sky, right?  We are within almost shouting distance of one another.  Why, should they look up at the same sky I am enthralled with, they’d probably think I had lost what marbles I had left.  “What’s the big deal” they might ask one another.  “I don’t see anything but darkness setting in.”  They’d probably shake their heads, laugh at their crazy neighbour, and go back inside, perhaps just every so often going to their back window to check and see if maybe, just maybe ol’ Stef was on to something after all.

But they wouldn’t see it.  

However, should you ask my neighbour up on the hill, she might have a completely different reaction.  “See it?” she’d exclaim.  “Why you, Stefanie, are only getting a glimpse of what rapturous beauty I am beholding!  If so, you’d be at my house every night, waiting for the opportunity to see what God paints next!”

Perspective.  From one angle, things look this way.  From another’s point of view the facts may not be as evident.  And from still another’s one would realize, as my friend Susan once said, there’s three sides to every story:  yours, mine, and the truth.

As things are presented to you today, friends, I encourage you to check out the other sides of the “details” given and see if perhaps you should examine them from another angle before making your final conclusion.  Things are not always what they seem and sometimes we just have to move a little to gain a more vivid accounting of what has been put before us so that we can see if a fair accounting is taking place or if we are only seeing through the glass dimly.

Let’s pray!

Well, once again Father, this blog did not go where I thought it was going to!  Nonetheless, as my readers examine it, I pray that this example of perspective, of examining our motives and the motives of others will encourage us to think for ourselves instead of just accepting things at face value.  Too often we are too lazy to seek out the truth, relying instead on others’ thoughts and “knowledge” about situations to find that there just may be another point of view out there that is more trustworthy, more eye-opening, and better able to point us to You, the real Truth.

Help us, I ask, to seek You today in all that we do, say, and offer to others.  In the radiant name of Christ Jesus I pray, amen.  Oh, and Lord?  Thanks for the beautiful sunsets!  I appreciate them!