Too Much to Carry

Monday August 18, 2014 

Sometimes there's just so much to carry.

And it gets to be too much.

What do you need to lay down today? 



Concerns about the future?

Doubts about yourself? About your parenting?

Worries about that son or daughter you’re sending off to college?

One day Moses, carrying his staff, met God.

Now, a staff isn’t a bad thing. It can be used for good—to walk, to direct sheep, even to ward off predators.

But God told Moses to throw it down. 
So he did. 

And after Moses picked up that staff, it was never referred to as “his” again; it was forever after called “the staff of God” or “the rod of God.” 

What do you need to lay down today? 
What are you holding so tightly to, trying desperately to wield in your own power? 

Throw it down.
Give it to God and pick it back up in His power, with His strength. 

There will still be tough hard times, but your strength will come from Him, not from you.
Moses held up his hands during the battle in Exodus 17 (likely with that staff), and they dropped after a time.

But what did Moses do?

He focused on God and what God would do. 
He let others come alongside him to hold his hands up. 

You can do that.

Throw it down—whatever you’re holding in your own power.
Give it to God.
Pick it back up in His name, with His strength.
Focus on Him. Let others help hold your hands up.

What do you need to lay down today?

I'm linking up today with Laura at Playdates with God and Jen at Soli deo Gloria Sisterhood.

What to DO?

Monday August 4, 2014
 

When life is crazy, when things go awry, that’s often the question we ask.

What should we do?

I’m usually looking for a four step plan to success, a way to fix, a solution that has worked for my Facebook friends. I make a list, I check it twice...

I don’t often think to simply be still. 

In fact, if you told me to do that, I’d probably say, “Are you CRAZY? We need to DO something here.”

Certain situations call for immediate action—like my son placing himself in imminent danger (a daily occurrence at a house of four boys). But often I react when I should be still. I place my trust in my work, not in the One who fights for me. 

Just before the Lord parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, they cried out in terror, rebuking Moses for convincing them to leave their slave digs in Egypt. They panicked.

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today…the LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13) 

All too often, I forget that One greater than me is fighting for me. My trust is banked on my measly human efforts. With my eyes on myself, with misplaced trust, I reduce an opportunity for God to show Himself into a failed panic. 

In reality, there is so little I must do. Psalm 37:23-23 reminds me:

“The LORD makes firm the steps 
     of the one who delights in him; 
 though he may stumble, he will not fall, 
     for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” 

If I delight in Him, He will make firm my steps. I may stumble, but I will not fall, for He holds me with His hand.

I can think of no more reassuring picture than that. 

What must I DO?

When my tendency is to panic, I must instead turn to Him, delight in Him.
From Him flows the peace I seek as I wait. 

I need only to be still and delight in Him. 
 

I'm linking up today with Laura at Playdates with God and Jen at Soli deo Gloria Sisterhood.

Awestruck by His Promises

Monday September 24, 2012

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. The thought of walking between two walls of water in the dark of night, with an army on your heels…my heart pounds to think of it! I read a psalm the other day that reminded me how nothing takes God by surprise.

“Your road led through the sea, Your pathway through the mighty waters— A pathway no one knew was there!” (Psalm 77:19)

But He knew. They didn’t just ford the waters. He led them down a road, a pathway. A prepared place.

No matter where you step today, He has been there. The road, the path, is prepared.

Usually, I’d prefer a bridge, a boat—a known way of crossing those waters. But where would my faith lie then? In my idea, my solution. In me.

When water is ahead, darkness presses in, and an army pursues, I can forge ahead knowing He has prepared the way. I won’t be lifted out of those churning waters, but I’ll tread a path of His choosing, with His presence alongside.

“Praise the Lord; Praise God our savior! For each day He carries us in His arms.” (Psalm 68:19)

Joining Laura, Jen, and Michelle with words from the heart.

Carrying the World, Rushing Through Life

Monday September 10, 2012

“How are you?”
“Fine. Busy!”

I must confess, I hear that – or say it – more than a few times a week.

And why?
What for?

Sometimes it seems like busyness is a badge of honor in today’s culture. Like we have no worth without the never-ending list of things that bring us stress.

I have to say, there have been times I’ve felt just like Atlas, bearing the world on my shoulders.


And I rarely realize that this burden is one of my own choosing. So much that I take on is not my business at all. I search scripture, and I can’t find one single verse that tells me I won’t be a good wife or mother unless I worry about my family. Not one.

What does His word tell me to do?

“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).

How do I seek his kingdom? By knowing Him.

And when I have Him in my sights, what do I find?

The picture of me struggling to bear the world on my shoulders vanishes in the face of His calm, His peace. It streams from Him as He stands, easily holding the world in one hand. His hand, not mine.

The world in His hand, my faith in Him.
The best place to be.

All that energy I use as I struggle to carry the world? Take it, Lord, and direct it toward knowing You.



Joining Laura, Jen, and Michelle with words from the heart.

The Fire

Monday August 27, 2012

Please, no more refining.

I just want to step away from the fire.

My eyes cast about for a glimpse of the smooth path—the one that leads away from the searing, crackling flame.

I ache for quiet, for calm, for what my mind labels “normal.”

I see a friend over there in the no fire zone. She catches my eye and shakes her head ever so slightly. Her face tells me:

It’s empty here, devoid of His essence.
It’s cold, lacking His warmth.
And it’s dark, with His light so far away.

I can’t.
I long for His presence, His warmth, His light.

So I open my hand, and here I stand.


“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2)



Joining Laura, Jen, and Michelle with words from the heart.

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Me and Pharaoh

Monday August 13, 2012
My son preached to me last Sunday.

No, really. Yes, there were plenty of times my kids humbled me and taught me lessons as they were growing up, but I got to sit in his church and hear my oldest bring the Word last Sunday.

He’s preaching through the plagues, and he’s on #7 – the hail.

We’ve felt assailed by something a lot like hail lately, so his sermon hit home.

A plague is a crisis. This one resulted in the loss of crops and livestock and people for the Egyptians. They were a proud, accomplished people, creators of an incredible culture at that time. What they must have thought of themselves and their accomplishments!

I’m beginning to see that me and Pharaoh…we’re sometimes too much alike.

In their crisis or ours, what can we see?

His mercy. This was the first plague where God forewarned the Egyptians, telling them to get livestock in.

Man’s stubbornness. Some obeyed, some didn’t.

What else can we see in this crisis or ours?

His plan and our place. God was at work in this situation. When we know that the One who works in all things "for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28) is at work, that should bring us comfort, even in the midst of crisis. And it should turn our eyes toward Him.

Something else I had never noticed in this story—it shows God’s protection.

Moses went out in that hail to go see Pharaoh and he walked out in it again to ask God to make it stop. And although the hail had killed livestock and people, Moses walked through; God was with him.

I’m so like Pharaoh most of the time. I have my own plan and, whether I like to admit it or not, my own plan is a competing plan if I’m relying on myself.

I forget about a power greater than mine. Instead of living on my own strength, relying on myself, I can rely on One whose power is greater.

For He accomplishes his purposes not just when the sun is shining (when everything lines up my way), but through plague and rainbow, crisis and storm.

That’s power.



Joining Laura, Jen, and Michelle with words from the heart.

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Stepping Out ... in Love

Monday June 18, 2012

She was probably dressed very simply, and she didn’t attract any attention. She walked up to the collection box and simply dropped in her two coins—all she had.

Have you ever wondered why she gave all she had?

Did God—the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10)—need the little lady’s two small coins? Logically, no; they were a drop in the bucket.

We’re not told much about the widow, but I’m guessing she didn’t sit down and reason it out. I doubt she consulted her budget or projections about the economy. It seems to me, she gave out of love.

She loved God. She trusted Him to provide for tomorrow’s bread…and the next day…and the next.

That’s trust. I have a job and still worry about the future. I have a house and worry about where the market will go. Where’s the trust there?

That little lady leads me to ask myself, “What are my actions based upon? Reason? Logic? Or trust and obedience that grows from love?”

That’s what I need: to live the love I have for God.
I need to step out in love, toward obedience and trust.



Joining Laura, Jen, and Michelle with words from the heart.
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Finding the Sun

Monday June 4, 2012


The envelope had that very official sense about it, and a glance at the return address confirmed it.

The long-awaited acceptance or rejection letter from the US Naval Academy. Lots of blood, sweat, and tears had already gone into this process, and my son had yet to know if he’d been accepted.

The news was not what he had hoped for. His goal at the Naval Academy would have been to become a pilot, but his inherited red-green color deficiency would prevent that. So he had to readjust his dreams, his goals, and take the next step toward finding his calling. It was a disappointing day for him.

How do we deal with disappointment—our and our children’s?

My boys have taught me so much. All I have to do is step back and repeat to myself what I’ve said to them, and I find lessons for my every day.

With the ups and downs of raising four sons, I’ve seen my share of disappointing days.

A walk down memory lane reminds me, on disappointing days, to:

Take time to grieve. When things don’t turn out as you expect, you’re facing a loss. So admit it. Give yourself time to lament a bit. Yes, there’s a bright side, and you'll get there eventually. The light looks even more amazing when contrasted with the darkness.

Get perspective. Whatever this is, it’s disappointing to you because you had another goal. But from God’s perspective, this is no surprise. It’s part of a life that’s upheld by His love and His plan. Rest in that.

Think bigger picture. This one thing is what we’ve hoped and dreamed and planned for, and when it doesn’t happen, we see the big hole that was this one thing. He’s weaving a tapestry that looks messy from down here—but from above, it’s beautiful.

Make this disappointment one big exercise in trust. Because that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Trusting the One who holds the world in His hands. Knowing He’ll be by our side through victories and disappointments because He loves us.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (I John 1:3)

How great is His love for us, His children.
With Him as our focus, light shines through the darkest of days.


Joining Laura, Jen, and Michelle with words from the heart.

Walking Through

Tuesday August 9, 2011


I don’t know what He’s doing. But I’m walking through open doors.

I don’t know what God is up to, what He has planned. But here I go.

The door seems the same, but I know better. And what waits on the other side, what He’s planned? That’s new and fresh and known only to Him.

But I trust Him.

So, new school year, fresh faces, a new mission.

I’m stepping through.


Linking up with Jen at Finding Heaven Today for Soli deo Gloria. Click on over and come along with us!

Throwing Up My Hands

Tuesday June 28, 2011

I love how God does it.
Beauty in the unexpected.
Grace in the everyday.
A diamond in the rough.

The gem nestled in the hills after a long, circuitous trip.
Thanksgiving, even after being swallowed by a great fish.

We have our plans, our agendas, our hopes and dreams.

But His are bigger and greater, sometimes encompassing ours and sometimes totally overshadowing them, but always in His loving way.

If we just throw up our hands and let Him lead, oh, the places we'll go.

Lead me, Lord.


Linking up with Jen at Finding Heaven Today for Soli deo Gloria. Click on over and come along with us!

Closer to the Light

Tuesday June 21, 2011

Last Tuesday’s post, “Trust the Catcher,” evoked lots of empathy.

“I know how this is.” “I’ve been there.” “My problem is misplaced trust.”

One of my sons has dealt with his need for trust lately as he looks toward his future. In talking with him, I realized—don’t we all?

I doubt any of us reach Jedi Master status in trust and stop, hovering around the pinnacle. Sometimes we take one step forward and move no further; often we’ll slip back a bit. Or we trust Him in some areas and not in others. When I have a job I can say, “I know my future career changes are in God’s hands,” but if I were unemployed, I’d likely find trust a lot more difficult. And trust is a bit more elusive when my teen is out on rain-slick roads after eleven.

So what do I do?

I look to my right shoulder and, finding no trust angel hovering there, I turn to the left—to the dark counterpart, worry. And that’s where I camp.

And why isn’t trust just hovering over my right shoulder, waiting for me? Oh, it is—I’m just too far from the Source to see it. I’m living in darkness, and worry is oh-so-much closer.

So I tell myself, once again,"Step into the light."

The closer I am to my Source, the easier it is to let go. And fly. And trust the Creator.

Linking up with Jen at Finding Heaven Today for Soli deo Gloria. Click on over and come along with us!

When a Storm Hits: Hear it, Use It

Monday June 20, 2011


We’ve all heard and read enough about storms this spring to fear them. In the wake of disastrous tornadoes, I’ve dreaded the beginning of our Florida hurricane season more than usual.

But life holds other storms; sometimes we see them hovering on the horizon, and sometimes we’re blindsided. Sunday, our pastor used the story of Jairus (Luke 8:40-56) to help us shore up against life’s storms.

How can we be ready? By remembering a few key things from the story of Jairus.

When a storm hits, family trumps work.

Jairus was a synagogue ruler, a pretty important guy. But he left everything and went out into the countryside to find Jesus. It may seem easier to bury yourself in work (or something else) than to face the problem, but remember—when storms hit, family comes first.

Humility is a necessary by-product of the storm.

Look at how Jairus approached Jesus. He didn’t take Him aside and speak in his best synagogue official voice. Jairus fell at Jesus’s feet—not in private but in front of the crowd. Swaggering in the face of a storm is simply foolhardy.

Honestly assess the damage.

Jairus came right to the point. Fearing that his daughter was dying, he asked Jesus to come to his home. See storm signals on the horizon? Don’t kid yourself.

When God is involved, don’t be discouraged by initial reports.

Even though in verse 49, some from Jairus’s household came with the news that his daughter was already dead, Jairus listened to Jesus as He said, “Don’t be afraid.” Regardless of the outcome of the storm, these words bring peace and healing: “Don’t be afraid.”

Our Father is in the business of bringing beauty from ashes.

Hold on through the storm—and trust Him.

Linking up today with Michelle at Graceful for Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday.

Trust the Catcher

Tuesday June 14, 2011
I want to know…now!
How’s this going to end up?
Is what I’m doing worth it in the long run?

So many questions, so little trust. That’s me, all too often.

Trust is one of the themes I plan to write about this month. I’m seeing the need for it all over the place – in my life, the life of my family and friends, in our culture.

In reality, the problem doesn’t see to be a lack of trust; instead, it’s misplaced trust. I don’t need more trust. I just need to put it in the right place.

When I want to know now, I’m trusting in me. I’ve decided, on my timetable, that this is the time to know. I’m not waiting on anyone or depending on anyone – I’m relying on myself and my own timetable.

Misplaced trust.

It’s wobbly trust, unsure, and I never feel secure with it. It happens over and over again. I've trusted in my own expectations and ability in marriage, in mothering, in writing, in work. I seem to think what I do will be a determining factor.

And in so doing, I discount the work of the One who loves me and knows what’s best for me.

My friend Jean wrote a post called Story Time with Henri Nouwen which quotes the story Nouwen told about a troupe of trapeze artists. The trapeze artist explains that it's not his job to catch himself; he must not grab or cling…he simply flies and waits for the catcher to catch him.

The trapeze artist said it like this: "A flyer must fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him."

So, my job is to fly. I need fuel for that and inspiration and light, so it’s best that I fly close to the Son, don’t you think?

“A flyer must fly…with outstretched arms…and his catcher will be there for him.”

So, fly on – and trust the Catcher.


Linking up with Jen at Finding Heaven Today for Soli deo Gloria. Click on over and come along with us!