God is in the details...

“When you think your possessions are few, imagine losing everything you own…..then having it returned…” (Author unknown)

They were in love, but, about to graduate from college, they had hardly a penny to their name. Together, they picked out an inexpensive gold engagement ring, with a tiny diamond chip in the center. She was content with the modest ring, because she understood the love behind it. He wanted it to be more. To surprise her, he sold his most valuable possessions, which were few, to buy a more valuable diamond. He planned to have the diamond mounted in the gold ring as soon as he could afford to have it done. Before they were married, he shared his plan for her ring. The sentiment touched her deeply. Just before leaving on their honeymoon, they discussed what to do with the diamond. Should they keep it with them while they travelled or store it safely away until they were settled in their new apartment? They decided it would be too easy to lose it if they took it with them. They carefully wrapped it in tissue paper, put it into an envelope and stored it in a box for safe keeping.
   In all the excitement of beginning their new lives together, the diamond was forgotten. Several weeks after the wedding, the new wife remembered the diamond and began to search through any box she could find. Panicking, she thought of all the boxes they had thrown out! The most valuable thing they owned was gone. Deeply disappointed, a feeling of loss settled over her. She knew how much he had sacrificed to buy that diamond and how special it would have been to replace the tiny chip in her ring. She whispered a prayer that it might be found, but, in her heart, she had no hope. Months passed. One evening after returning from a long trip, she laid her suitcase on the floor in the bedroom, kneeled down, pulled it open and began casually unpacking her soiled clothing. Twilight cast a shadow in the room, so she stood to flick on the light. When she turned and looked down at the nearly empty suitcase, something very small and shimmery caught her eye. It was lying in the center of the suitcase, all by itself. Wondering what she owned that a rhinestone could have fallen out of, she picked it up and closely examined it…..a feeling of shock and disbelief gripped her as she realized it was not a rhinestone, but a solitary diamond! When she shared the news of her discovery, her husband was stunned. They took it to a jeweler for confirmation, and it was, indeed, the very diamond he had purchased nearly a year before. Delighted and still in disbelief, they had the diamond mounted, replacing the tiny chip, just in time for their first anniversary.
To this day, nearly forty-two years later, that ring is still my most valued piece of jewelry. It has been a continual reminder that no prayer is too small, no request of our hearts insignificant. Our God knows the number of hairs on our head (a number that is constantly changing…). He created more stars than there are grains of sand, and yet knows each one by name. He takes note when a sparrow falls from a tree. Our God cares about the details of our lives. When He said,"be anxious for nothing, but in everything let your requests be made known to God"…I believe He meant everything. Trusting Him in the details of our lives builds faith, not because every little request is granted, but because He will inevitably demonstrate that He cares about our needs and even our desires. “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). A “gift” is not necessarily something needed. It is something we delight to receive because of the love that motivated the giving. That is why Ephesians 3, verse 20 states that God can do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine”… because His love is more than we can imagine! He is the One who specializes in restoring what was lost, and in the process He teaches us appreciation and multiplies our joy (Luke 15:7, 9-10).

Missing a dog...

I am missing a dog….missing a cold nose that nuzzled my arm when I was engaged on the computer or holding a book I was attempting to read…..missing that unique “aarrgghh” that expressed a myriad of wants or needs, but mostly just the desire for attention, and, sometimes, woke us up way too early in the morning. I am missing a dog….those big brown eyes looking over the window ledge to confirm I was arriving home….and that wagging tail drumming delight at the anticipation of a walk or the chance to play fetch with just about anything. I am missing a dog….who could not greet me at the door without presenting a gift….usually one of my shoes. I even miss the many walks required at inconvenient times, often in the cold and rain…. walks that provided opportunity to get to know my neighbors as never before. I am missing a dog….whose sweet spirit drew complete strangers, and countless children, to ask if they could come and pet her whenever we visited a park. I am so grateful to our daughter and grandchildren who allowed us to be Toby’s “foster parents” while they lived in Australia for a year. Having her helped us feel connected to them while they were so far away. Our hearts were warmed to hear the delighted squeals of our grandchildren as they arrived home and were reunited with their beloved dog. That, after all, had been our goal in keeping Toby for the year until their return. I am so happy to know we will see her often, happily back home with her loving family, but it won’t quite be the same…..it’s quieter here now, and I don’t have to vacuum as often, we can even sleep in on weekends…but I can’t help missing a dog….

 

A personal reflection…

Preparing for a major overseas trip, I ordered some travel items from Rick Steves, the travel guru.  One item was a small, yellow, toiletries bag.  I love that little bag….it can hold all the necessary items for a trip (in 3 ounce containers, of course).  When you unzip the front, it has a hook so you can hang it anywhere for easy access.  And on that zippered front is a small mirror attached by Velcro.  Actually, the mirror was the only disappointment.   It was very foggy and not very useful, especially in low light.  I didn’t think much about it, except that I would have expected better quality from the travel expert.  Not long after returning from the trip, I noticed the mirror was pealing around the edges.  Wow, this is really cheap, I thought.  But before throwing it away, I pulled on a curled edge and, much to my surprise, a thin plastic sheet came off the mirror revealing clearly the stupefied expression on my face.  It had never occurred to me that the mirror might have a protective covering.  After a few moments of feeling really, really dumb, I began to reflect (pun intended…)

How often is my view of others, of events, of knowledge, even of God, distorted because my understanding is clouded.  Is it possible to pull away the veil that obscures true perception?  In Ephesians 1:17-18, Paul speaks about the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that opens the “eyes of your heart.” 2 Peter 1:19 refers to the “word” being like a light shining in a dark place.  In the context of the supremacy of love, Paul explains in I Corinthians 13:12 “now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then (when we are made perfect in love) we shall see face to face. “

The veil over my heart is not something I can remove by myself.  It continuously clouds my perceptions, causing me to misjudge motives, to think the worst rather than the best of others, to envy, become boastful (in my mind if not in my words) and even to doubt God.  All of these things, I hate.  But the Bible tells me, it is only by God’s Spirit, His Word, and His love perfected in us, that the veil can be torn away.  It is a wonderful thing to see clearly, because, when we do, the reflection we see more closely resembles Christ (Ephesians 4:23).  Now there’s something to reflect upon…

An Awesome Travelling Companion

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV). Thinking about this verse over the years, I have often wondered what it meant to “acknowledge Him.” The Hebrew word is yaw-dah, meaning to know or “ascertain by seeing.” The word has many implications, including close relationship as with a” familiar friend” or “kinsman” and “to know” and “make known.” The word “trust” in this verse is batach, meaning to be confident, secure, sure. To paraphrase it in my own words,” Be completely confident in the Lord. In all your plans, include Him as you would your dearest friend. Because He is included in everything you do, He will be your guide, even when you don’t understand the route.”

I’ve just returned from the trip of a lifetime. My husband and I travelled to Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand over the course of a month. Our daughter and three wonderful grandchildren are living in Melbourne for a year while my son-in-law completes a work opportunity there. To my husband, this seemed the perfect time to fulfill a life-long dream to visit these wonderful places, while spending cherished time with our grandchildren. I cannot think of the trip without thinking of Ephesians 3:20, because it exceeded our expectations in every way. The month was filled with adventure, including an ATV excursion on the island of Moorea, a helicopter ride over the Great Ocean Road of Australia, a walk-about in the Australian bush, a guided horseback tour in the wilderness of New Zealand, a cruise through the fjords of Milford Sound, a gondola ride to the top of Bob’s Peak overlooking Queenstown and beautiful Lake Wakatipu, a delightful visit to Hobbit town, a trek around the thermal mud pots and geysers of Rotorua…. All in all we covered nearly 24,000 miles, and spent nearly 48 hours in the air. What is particularly impressive to me about this remarkable trip is that I really wasn’t looking forward to travelling for a month, and the thought of flying such long distances made me anxious. Even short trips in the air made me apprehensive. Gratefully, I can state those things in the past tense. While planning the trip, I decided to take Proverbs 3:5-6 to heart, believe it and live it. As we worked on our itinerary, I spread it all out before the Lord in prayer. I talked to Him about what our plans and hopes were, and asked Him to be in every detail. I also asked Him to turn my fears into joyful anticipation (Psalm 34: 4-5). He kept His promise…..He directed our paths (on land and in the air!), and even the occasional glitch in our plans turned out to be for the best. And all the while, I felt I was sharing the adventure with my “Familiar Friend.” What an awesome travelling Companion!!

I recently had the opportunity to accompany three of our grandchildren to a local science museum. We had a great afternoon exploring exhibits of wild animals and sea creatures, experimenting with sound machines and building blocks, learning fascinating things about the human body and taking in a show at the planetarium. One exhibit had to do with light….my grandson and I sat across from each other with a large glass pane between us. Each of us had a dial to control the amount of light that shone upon us. The more light we allowed to shine, the more clearly we could see the person across from us. When we turned the dial to diminish the light, we saw less and less of the other person, until all we could see in the pane was ourselves. It struck me that God’s principles are everywhere evident…maybe especially in a science museum. I couldn’t ignore the lesson….I can go through a day where all I see is myself, my needs, my concerns. That’s when I am not allowing God (who is Light) to shine in my life. When I “turn the dial”(perhaps through prayer, Bible study, fellowship) I can begin to focus on others and less on myself. I was reminded of Paul’s words in I. Cor 13:12 (KJ), “for now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face….then shall I know even as also I am known.” I truly do see “through a glass darkly,” but I’m reaching for the dial….

With all the exuberance and energy of a fifteen-month old, our grandson, Lee, headed to the ocean as quickly as his little legs would take him. For some of our grandchildren, the first encounter with the foaming surf has been frightening. We would carry them to the edge of the breaking tides and hold them up so they could feel the sand and the water converge on their reluctant toes. It could take several attempts before they would not react fearfully, clamoring up into our arms. But not Lee! He was drawn to the ocean like a baby turtle, determined to make his way to those waves. I walked (jogged) beside him, holding his tiny hand when he would let me and trying to keep him in my shadow as the sun became more intense. Keeping him in my shadow was a constant challenge. It meant keeping him close to me, at my side, while he was blissfully unaware of my efforts to protect him. It occurred to me how often we are unaware, and unappreciative, of God’s protective presence. David understood, when he prayed “hide me under the shadow of your wings…” (Psalm 17:8), “the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings..(Psalm 36:7), “In the shadow of your wings I will make my refuge…” (Psalm 57:1), “In the shadow of your wings I will rejoice” (Psalm 63:7) (NKJ). With childlike dependence, David said “my soul follows close behind you, Your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:8). He knew that to be in God’s shadow, he had to stay as close to Him as he could. But sometimes, God moves to keep us close even when we are unaware or unable. I John 2:1 refers to Jesus Christ as our Advocate. The Greek word for “advocate” is “paraklesis” and refers to “coming to one’s side.” I know our grandchildren cannot possibly understand how much we love them and want to protect them. We pray as they grow older, and the waves of life become less gentle, that they each will hold tightly to the hand of their God and rejoice in His protective shadow.

A Special Kind of Love, a Tribute

The side door of the van had not even fully opened when, to our delight, three joyful children clamored out and ran towards us. I’ll never forget the moment my oldest grandson, Owen, lept into my arms. His hug was so full of love that it filled my heart to overflowing. It was one of those “I don’t ever want to let go” kind of hugs. The feeling was mutual. We had not seen our grandchildren, except by Skype, for nearly nine months. Our daughter and son-in-law had taken advantage of a great job opportunity as a way to let their children experience the rich culture of India for six months. But, as often happens in such situations, the six months was extended to a year, and they were visiting us for the holidays. We had a wonderful visit, catching up and learning everything we could about their amazing adventure ….especially fascinating when seen through the eyes of the children. We treasure the memory of hugs and cuddles on the couch, watching movies or looking at photo albums. I have to admit, it was harder to say good-by this time than when they first left. We know God is holding them in His arms and directing their lives, and we praise Him for that. Our time apart has reminded us that family is a gift so precious only God could have thought it up. And nothing brings joy like the love of grandchildren!
Now, three of our precious grandchildren are back in India. And, once again, we are grateful for Skype! Another grandson lives in Atlanta and, although we prefer that to India, it’s hard to spend the time with him that we would like. Still, we have gotten to watch him grow from the day of his birth, to sitting, crawling and preparing to take that first step. I’ve had the joy of being chased on my knees around the playroom, reading stories, and stacking blocks just for the fun of watching him knock them down. He smiles with his whole face, as if the joy of life can hardly be contained. I love to be asked to come for a visit and spend time with Lee. I marvel that his parents worry about me “giving up the time” to come, when time with him (them) is a gift.
God is good….and four of our grandchildren are only twenty minutes away! Ages four, three, two and four months, they are totally and completely amazing. At this point, their parents are more tired than amazed, so I am glad I am close enough to give them a little break now and then. I love going through the front door, and hearing the playful clamor coming from their upstairs rooms. I especially love when they realize I’m there and the clamor stops to the cry of “MiMi!” I’m old (39 plus shipping and handling), but to this day I cannot think of a better compliment than Sean telling me, “MiMi, you are so fun!”
Proverbs 17, verse 6 says, “children’s children are the crown of old men (and women!), and the glory of children is their father,” and, I could add, their grandfather. We are so thankful to be grandparents. Of all the titles the world could offer, none compares to “MiMi and PaPa!” Our continual prayer is that we might be a Godly influence in the lives of all of our grandchildren. I am writing as a tribute to my mother and father in law, who have always been spiritual pillars in our family. Our children have always had the blessing of Godly grandparents, who have treasured being a part of their lives. Now, as we witness the faithfulness and dedication of our children, and their efforts to be Godly parents, we realize that the example of their grandparents has impacted the lives of every child, grandchild and great-grandchild they have. I hope they know how much they are loved, and what a rich spiritual heritage they have given their family. God is faithful and He promises in Psalms 102, verse 28, “The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.” Can there be a more awesome promise? Nothing brings joy like the love of grandchildren….living in God’s presence, established before Him!”