The school where I work occasionally has book sales. Recently, as I was perusing some of the new selections, I found what has now become my all-time favorite book for children, Wherever You Are, my love will find you, by Nancy Tillman. I think any parent, or grandparent, could relate to this book…”I wanted you more than you ever will know, so I sent love to follow wherever you go.” “My love is so high, so wide and so deep, it’s always right there, even when you’re asleep.” The words (and illustrations!) are beautiful, but what drew me most to this book was the realization that, whether we are aware of it or not, our God loves us more than we “ever will know.”
In the past couple of months, our family has run the gamut of emotion, the grief of untimely death, the exaltation of birth, the heaviness of health challenges. In each circumstance, God has overwhelmed us with His presence, His power and, most of all, His love. A dear friend recently joked with me that “life is good…..but livin is hard!” Her words made me smile, but recent circumstances made me readily agree that “life is hard!” God never said it would be easy. His Word tells us, “When (not if) you pass through the waters, I will be with you….When (not if) you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned….” (Isaiah 43:2). God’s promise is that He would be with us, anywhere, in any circumstance.
Isaiah 41:13 has become one of my favorite scriptures, "For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you 'Fear not, I will help you.'" When our children were toddlers, we loved holding their trusting hands and walking with them. We delighted in sharing the wonders of the world around us while wanting to protect them from any hurt or pain. It’s fair to say we would have done anything to protect them and give them a good life. If it were possible, we would have taken their hurts upon ourselves and shielded them from pain. In the heart of a parent God opens a window into His own heart. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) We know this verse well, having seen it on countless bumper stickers, banners at sporting events, and written as graffiti on highway overpasses. But the words bounce off of us in the complacency of familiarity rather than astounding us with the depth and power of their meaning. But pause for a minute to let the words sink in…..the Creator of the universe, Star-breather, life-giver, so loved the world (Gk, “kosmos” meaning the created world and its inhabitants) that He gave His only Son. Perhaps when God created a parent’s heart, He wanted us to understand a little of the magnitude of this gift. There simply was nothing more valuable or precious that He could give. Why would He do such a thing? that we might have life, as part of His family, forever. “What manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God” (I. John 3:1). No, God doesn’t protect us from every painful circumstance. Rather, He uses these trials to refine and purify us, like a goldsmith burning away the dross until he can see his own reflection in the precious metal. There have been moments in the past few weeks when God has overwhelmed me with the immensity of His love. In Ephesians 3, Paul prayed that we “being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend ….the width and length and depth and height…to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge….” Simply put, wherever we are, God’s love will find us….

We loved watching our grandchildren open their gifts on Christmas morning. With great anticipation, they ripped away ribbons and paper. As each gift was revealed, they would squeal with joy and look for someone to run to and hug in appreciation. Their thankfulness was a gift to us! One Christmas, my daughter asked her children to leave one gift for last. It was a beautifully wrapped package without a name. After all other gifts had been opened, she allowed them to bring the mystery package from under the tree. The lid of the package was easy to pull off, revealing an empty box. “This,” she explained, “is for the gift you will give to Jesus.” Then, as each child explained what their gift would be, she wrote it down on a small card and let them place it in the box. This simple act brought all of the festivities of the season into perspective.
Gift giving at this season has become one of the most deeply embedded traditions in our culture. This presents a unique challenge for Christians. While we have the opportunity to consider those in need and to give gifts as an expression of our love for the special people in our lives, we have to be on our guard. It is easy to get caught up in the commercialism that surrounds us. Gift giving can get out of hand, become a burden and lose any significance. The focus of the season can become stuff. One Christmas, I had the opportunity to deliver gifts to needy families in our community. Upon arriving at one house, I was greeted by ‘Oh…just put that over there.” I was stunned to see a huge pile of gifts that were spilling out from under a well decorated tree. I left that home feeling empty and wondering how often our giving is misdirected and unappreciated.
We need traditions, especially traditions that are faith based and center on worship. They are like stones of remembrance (Josh. 4:21-22) that keep us mindful of what our God has done and is doing. The Christmas season presents special blessings and unique challenges for Christians. It is a blessing to set aside a special time to worship and honor God. Christmas is the only time of year when the story of Christ’s miraculous birth is widely told. Recorded in Luke, chapters 1 and 2, and Matthew, chapters 1 and 2, the account is staggering…and breathtaking in it’s fulfillment of scores of prophecies. That The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14)….the very Word who spoke, “let there be light!” came into our world as a new born baby to dwell among us ….how can we begin to comprehend such a thing? That God, who gives us life and everything we have, gave us the most amazing gift of all, His Son “that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17).
Now the holiday is a memory. Families (mostly moms…) are beginning to put away all of the Christmas decorations. The trappings of the holiday season are quickly fading, leaving a little bit of a void….after all, seasonal displays started appearing before leaves started falling from the trees! I remember as a young child sitting on my swing in the backyard on a Christmas afternoon and thinking, is this all there is? I’ll never forget that feeling. There is no lasting happiness in stuff, even for a child. If the focus has been on material things, on decorations, parties and stuff, there will be a void as we face the coming weeks and months. If the focus has been on God’s gift to us in Christ, we can experience joy and peace in the year ahead, like a gift we open every day. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “ It kinda makes you want to squeal for joy and find someone to hug!

Normally, I love driving my little red jeep. But this summer, with its record breaking heat and sauna-like humidity, the joy was melting away. The air conditioner had quit working. Actually, it did work, but it blew cold air only on the windshield and on my feet. Even with the windows out, there was no relief from the heat. The moisture in the air settled on me like a warm, wet towel. My sun glasses fogged up and my sweaty hands stuck to the steering wheel. We put off repair for several weeks, thinking it would be too costly. My handyman husband considered working on it himself, but was intimidated by the thought of removing the console and perhaps causing more damage. Fortunately, most of our car trips were short, but a trip to Atlanta was looming, and I was a little concerned. I could picture wiping sweat from my brow, while trying to get feeling back into frostbitten feet! I decided to take the jeep to the dealership, bite the bullet, and do what needed to be done. Unfortunately, they could not schedule the repair until well after our trip. On a whim (and a little desperate) I took the jeep to AAA and asked if they could help. A young employee came outside to see the jeep and check out the problem. He reached in, effortlessly pulled off a knob, and said, “This is broken…same thing happened in my car. You can get a new one at the dealership.” No charge! Flabbergasted (and afraid to hope) I drove quickly back to the dealership. Five minutes and $9.00 later, the air conditioner was fixed! Oh the joy! I turned it on full force, sat back and relished the cool air blowing in my face! I smiled at the thought of how I had always taken that cool air for granted, and how grateful I was to have it restored.
There is an old saying that goes” if you don’t think you have very much, just think how you would feel if you lost everything…..and then, somehow, you got it all back”. The restoration would bring renewed appreciation and joy. Our grandchildren have no lack of toys. Wisely, their parents have left a stash of their old toys at our house. Whenever they visit, we pull them out. The way the children play, you’d think they were seeing the toys for the very first time! It’s fun to see the joy that comes from having a “lost” toy restored!
These are simplistic examples of the joy of restoration. But the principle is embedded in creation itself. A time of restoration is promised for this world. In Matthew 19:28, Jesus tells His disciples that they will sit on thrones judging the whole house of Israel during the “regeneration.” The Greek word for regeneration is “palingenesia” and means the “restoration of all things” (also used in Acts 3:21, “which God has spoken by all His holy prophets since the world began”). Romans 8: 20-22 states that the world will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. At the return of Christ, when His feet stand upon the Mount of Olives and the mountain splits in two, “the Lord shall be King over the whole earth,” and ‘living waters shall flow from Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14). And the ultimate renewal….”your dead shall live….they shall arise. Awake and sing you who dwell in the dust” (Isaiah 26:19). And how does creation respond to renewal? “Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord….for He is coming….” (Psalm 96:11-13). That picture encourages and refreshes me….like the joy of cool air blowing in my face on a hot summer day!

Spiritual Perennials

About a year ago in the spring, our daughter, Lisa, helped us lay out a flower border in the front yard. She chose a variety of plants and placed them thoughtfully, with a plan in mind. I didn’t fully appreciate her plan until this spring, when a lovely array of plants and flowers began to bloom. Nearly every day that little garden surprises and delights us. Because Lisa chose perennials, this little garden will be a haven for birds and butterflies for years to come. Every plant and flower speaks to us of a love more extravagant than the colors and varieties that astound us. For those of us who enjoy flowers but don’t have a lot of time for gardening, God created the perennial.
God loves gardens. What fun He must have had designing the endless varieties of plants and flowers….I can imagine that He fashioned each one with thoughtful care, creating colors, textures, aromas that would delight the senses. Genesis 1:11 records that God created grass, herbs and trees instantly by merely speaking them in to existence. But, I believe He had planned everything out, in detail, before He
began His physical creation. And as He surveyed His creation, He relished that it was good! The Creator of it all enjoyed walking in His garden in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8).
Throughout His word, God uses garden analogies to teach spiritual lessons. Especially in the New Testament, where Christ declares that He is the vine and we are the branches. Matthew 13 records the parable of the “sower of the seed.” The seed that fell on good ground yielded a crop of up to a hundredfold! But some lessons are not recorded in His word, they are written in His creation for us to observe and absorb….for the invisible things of God are clearly understood by the things He has made (Romans 1: 20). Consider the perennial….
The perennial typically has a deep, extensive root system. Because its root is protected below ground level, it helps prevent erosion, it is stronger than weeds (less need for herbicide!), and it can even withstand wild fires! A perennial can survive extreme environmental conditions, and it will come back year after year, not
just surviving, but growing! Spiritually speaking, I want to be a perennial! Ephesians 3:17 speaks of being “rooted and grounded in love.” The word love here is “agape” which refers to the highest kind of love…God’s love. To be rooted in
that love will protect us, make us stronger than our enemy and enable us to withstand the fires of life.
I Cor. 3:9 states that we are “God’s field”….may that field be overgrown with spiritual perennials!

“The opposite of poverty is not wealth, it is justice.”
In early May, I had the incredibly joyful experience of seeing my nephew, Scott, graduate from law school at UNC Chapel Hill. Family gathered from Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia to celebrate this grand occasion. Time with family, especially with those we don’t see often, always feels like a gift specially wrapped in hugs and laughter. We had a great time just being together, and sharing the pride that now we have a lawyer in the family! I’m not sure why, but I love graduations….I cannot listen to Pomp and Circumstance without getting a lump in my throat. Perhaps it’s the realization that a page of life is turning…a feeling that something extraordinary is about to happen….
I didn’t recognize the name of the commencement speaker, Bryan A. Stevenson. He was introduced as the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative. That sounded good, but I didn’t have a clue what it was. His introduction included a list of awards, such as the Thurgood Marshall Medal of Justice, which sounded impressive, but, again, I didn’t have a clue. But as Mr. Stevenson began to speak, his passion for justice and for people, especially the downtrodden, destitute and hopeless, began to move his audience. This man spoke from his heart and from his experience. He made us laugh, he made us think and he touched our hearts. As an advocate for some on death row, for teenagers, only 13 and 14 years of age, who are being tried as adults, and for many who are destitute and without hope, Mr. Stevenson’s life quest is to fight for just treatment under the law. Many of those he represents are poor and suffer racial and social discrimination. He admonished these young, idealistic graduates to go back and reread the essays they wrote when they were applying for law school, and he encouraged them not to lose their vision. If they stand up for what is right, even when it is not popular….if they speak out against injustice for those who have no voice…if they strive for fairness always, they will help create genuine change in our society, for “the opposite of poverty is not wealth, it is justice.”
Mr. Stevenson received a standing ovation, and I found myself fighting back tears. I was truly moved by his message because I was reminded that I worship a God who is passionate about justice and wants us to be as well. He commands in Leviticus, “you shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. But in righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.” (Lev. 19:15). “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy….” (Psalm 82:3) “He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them are an abomination to the Lord.” (Prov. 17:15) “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:15).

I think how many times during any given day I make judgments about others that are not righteous, even subconsciously. It’s so easy to make judgments, I should say mis- judgments, based on appearance. Yet it is astounding and humbling to realize we have a Savior who endured more injustice, more misjudgment, than any other living being possibly could. He “poured out His soul unto death….and bore the sin of many” (Is. 53:12). God declares, “My righteous Servant shall justify many….” (Is. 53:11). God is always just. His justice demanded the greatest price it was possible to pay. He sent His son to become our Savior. He is coming again to be our King, “He will not fail nor be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth…” (Isaiah 42:4). Something extraordinary is about to happen….

“You make the outgoings of the morning and evening shout for joy” (Psalms 65:8).

It was an early fall morning at the beach in South Carolina. Several friends were enjoying a girlfriends’ weekend, and three of us had risen early to savor the spectacle of the sunrise over the ocean. Soft light was beginning to filter through the clouds as we sleepily made our way down to the beach. The gentle surf of low tide peacefully bathed the cool sand as we set our beach chairs down near the surf’s edge and as close to one another as we could for warmth. Breathing in the steam of fresh brewed coffee, we sipped from warm mugs and settled back to enjoy the majestic arrival of the new day. Beams of light began to streak across the sky like emissaries going out to announce the arrival of a great dignitary. Wispy clouds took on a golden hue, accenting soft shades of orange and blue that stretched across the horizon. The sun began to rise…slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, then in full glory. The ocean unfolded a welcoming runner of gold that extended from the sun’s first light to the edge of the surf. Wet sand reflected the shimmering light, and left no hint of the countless footprints and sand sculptures from the day before. Everything felt new and fresh, the day full of possibilities. How grateful I am that our God specializes in renewal. Not only is renewal built in to creation, in every sunrise, in every spring morning, in every bud and blossom, but He offers us spiritual renewal as well. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) He renews our strength (Isaish 40:31), He renews our minds (Romans 12:2; Eph. 4:23), He restores our joy (Psalm 51:12). He forgives, heals, and redeems to give us renewed life spiritually (Psalms103:3-4). When I pray, “Thy kingdom come,” I am anticipating a time of renewal upon the whole earth, when “The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings….” (Malachi 4:2). “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, let the sea roar and all its fullness….for He is coming to judge the earth, He shall judge the earth with righteousness…” (Psalm 96:11-13).

Two of my dearest friends and I have a fun tradition. On each of our birthdays we meet at Starbucks early in the morning. Thoughtfully, the birthday girl arrives a little later than the other two, which allows time for decorating a corner of the coffee shop. We are not subtle in our decorations, and we always feel a little sorry for anyone who comes to Starbucks that morning anticipating a quiet cup of coffee. Mostly, we find folks enjoy our festive display, and sometimes complete strangers join in the fun. As girlfriends, we delight in making one another feel special. We have surprised each other on more than one occasion with creative and fun acts of giving, just to say “you are special, and you are loved!” Personally, I cannot think of anything more joyful than demonstrating to a loved one how loved they are and knowing that they get it!

Reflecting on our birthday tradition, I understand something about God in a new way. It is always totally amazing to remember that God said He created us in His “image”….I believe that means He created us to possess (in a very finite way) some of the attributes of His very nature. He was the first to delight in demonstrating love…everything He made….all of creation….was made for us, because He loves us…wow! I believe He spent eternity planning it and that He had great fun doing it, and seeing that it was “all good” as His plan came together. He is the Originator of joyful surprises….how surprised Adam must have been when God presented Eve (I’m sure Eve was a little surprised, too….) Every sunset and sunrise, every spring morning holds another surprise. And the ultimate surprise….”no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (II. Cor. 2:9)
Surely it gives our Creator great joy when we reflect on His gifts, immeasurably full of surprise and wonder…given because He loves us immeasurably …but I wonder, do we get it?