Winter's Little Surprise, Wrapped in Snow and Ice

 In case your calendar is missing a page, it's December.

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Once again, we are approaching the end of a year, and many are wrapping up their goal checklists and forming new resolutions for January 1. Some have begun seeking God about a word for the new year. A single word--or a phrase--that becomes a theme. My church does this.

To be honest, these are practices I haven't really embraced. I have, in years past, had a word or phrase of the year. Growing up, I did make resolutions to satisfy my curious teachers. But for whatever reason, I haven't felt they were anything for me to adhere to as a tradition.

I do, however, become very reflective during this time of the year. And this is where I'm headed with these next few moments. I read a book by Jennifer Dukes Lee called Growing Slow: Lessons on Unhurrying Your Heart from an Accidental Farm Girl. In this book, she talks about the beauty of the seasons in a way I had never realized. I guess from a farmer's perspective, the benefits of a frozen, wintry ground is an amazing God-ordained conditions of the earth. Here, I'll let her share:

My husband tells me that in order for the soil to be ready for spring, it needs the cold, dark months of winter. Here's why.

Frost, snow, and cold temperatures all serve to prepare the land for the coming spring. Frost disrupts pest and disease cycles, and it actually improves the soil. Around here, snow is called "poor man's fertilizer." As snow falls, it picks up nitrogen on the way down. When the snow thaws, it slowly melts, quietly releasing nitrogen into the soil. We think that because it's winter, nothing is happening in the fields. But that's not true at all. There is a lot of work going on in the dark, below the surface, that will greatly impact the growth of the coming year" (Lee, p. 174).

The way I understand it, winter is a time to slow our pace and allow for the Lord to prepare our souls for a flourishing of dreams, the birthing of new ideas, and the energy of a revived soul for new beginnings.

And this year, I can see myself more reflective and a little restless. Restless, maybe, because my mind thinks I should be about the business of living and pushing forward. Reflective, because I can see how the past few years have weighed my family down as we've navigated the loss of Jeff's brother and his father in the span of a month, followed by the home he'd grown up in. A time of mourning had not been given space. Add to this, Jeff's aging uncle with special needs had come to live in our home, which initiated a dynamic that none of us were prepared for.

Reflection is good. Especially if it leads us to the cross where we can lay our disappointments, struggles, anxieties, failures--where we can find healing and a renewed sense of hope. That is, if we will allow it.

Unfortunately, too often, we can get caught up in the reflection and get fixated on the past mistakes, missed opportunities, and wondering, "what would things be like if ... ?"

This longing for what might have been is the long stare into the rearview mirror that will cause a crash head-on if we can't swivel our head to see those things in front of us: the family God has blessed us with; the roof over our heads; our current employment (provision from God); the ability to drive our vehicle to and from our job. Every day, we are blessed with gifts we will miss if we're busy lamenting the losses we've experienced. Our God is gracious, forgiving, and promises to restore us to Himself, which includes all that He has planned for us. Scripture tells us, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29 ESV).

Which means, if He promised it, He will do it. We can relax and trust Him. My mistakes and failures are not disqualifiers for my life in Him. Instead, they can be stepping stones of education if I'll pay attention. A friend sent me the following:

• Isaiah 30:20-21 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
• 2 Corinthians 4:17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

Her encouragement was a welcome ointment on a soul that felt trapped in the guilt of wrong turns and shame of feeling as though we'd fallen behind in our race. These words offer encouragement that God's word is true. Wholly true. So when it says, "I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you" (Joel 2:25).

This is a promise that sounds wonderful, for those who've been attacked and robbed. But if we back up to the beginning of this chapter, we will see that it was the Israelites who'd disobeyed, opening the gates for the destroyer to come and plunder them. Joel 2 begins with a warning and a description of how things are going to look for the people. Then verse 12 is a call to the people, 

"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Who knows whether He will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

And then, later, Joel says,

"Then the LORD became jealous for His land and had pity on His people. The LORD answered and said to His people, "Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied, and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations" (Joel 2:18-19). 

And so, as we find our way through winter, wrap yourself in a cozy blanket and allow the Lord to heal your hearts, prepare your soul soil for spring's new life. The things that need to fall away, consider winter your friend--because faithful are the wounds of a friend (Proverbs 27:6)--as the frozen ground puts to death the disease-causing pests. Allow the nitrogen (Holy Spirit's power) to breathe new life into those areas that have all but lost hope--even the areas that have completely lost hope.

Soon, you will hear the voice of your Beloved:

My beloved speaks and says to me: Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land (Song of Solomon 2:10-12)

Until next time, Merry Christmas 🌲, Happy New Year 🎊⛄☃ Karlene J 💜

Threshold

 I don't know about you, but I always feel as though I am on the precipice of something greater than I can imagine. As if one more step, and the unseen world will expose itself, and everything will change.

When my now 25-year-old son was in middle school, he read a book (later made into a movie) called The Giver.  Throughout the story, a young man lived in a black-and-white world, but he's convinced there's more. He'd break rules, find loopholes in everyday tasks, and by the end find a way to escape the current reality and enter a life filled with color and beauty. In his black-and-white reality, there was no conflict, no one raised questions, and everyone was assigned their future at birth, not to be questioned or disputed. Creativity and passion were unnecessary.

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When watching this movie, I couldn't help but think how sad this life would be if we didn't question things. Didn't have ambition or creativity. We would still be reading by candlelight if not for Thomas Edison's light bulb. Books wouldn't be written. Art wouldn't exist. If our world were black-and-white, we wouldn't have any concept of a rainbow's magnificence or a sunset's astounding beauty.

A man I once knew was told he would soon be living in technicolor. To those who heard these words, it sounded like this man would experience color and vibrancy none could imagine. Gold and silver would be so pure and rich that a hint of light would reflect off anything in their space. 

Of course, the speaker--whether knowingly or not--spoke of heaven.

Is this the precipice I imagine on the threshold? A thin veil separates me from the true promised land for all who follow Jesus Christ. It's thin enough to know that there's something amazing on the other side, yet thick enough that I am unable to see even the slightest shadow of what's to come.

There's so much more to this life than we live. We wake every day and go about our to-do lists. We accomplish tasks. We check the boxes and close out the day as we lie down for the night, and we prepare for another day. Some of us rehearse the words, "His mercies are new every morning ..." to encourage ourselves that each new day presents a clean slate and a fresh start.

The sentiment is true. 

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him" (Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV).

 And we do get to start each day with hope in our God.

But there are days, to be honest, that I lose sight of this. I have heard the words, "hamster wheel," cross my own lips as I describe my day-to-day. This is not declaring the goodness of God. This does not tell anyone of God's new mercies or faithfulness. Nor is this sharing the gospel of Christ or the abundant life He has promised. Truthfully, comparing life to a hamster wheel activity--while borne out of exhaustion--is complaining. And complaining is a gateway for the devil to come in and drag us into depression, anxiety, and faithlessness.

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In David Jeremiah's final lesson on Elisha, the focus is on the last great miracle God performed through the prophet. The king of Israel came to a sick and dying man, complaining that the Syrian army was coming with horses and chariots, and the Israelite army was depleted (2 Kings 13:14-21). Now, Joash was not an honorable king. Scripture tells us that he did evil in the sight of God. He turned to Elisha because he knew God listened to him.

Elisha's instructions were simple, yet not direct. He told the king to shoot an arrow through the window. This would indicate victory over Syria. Then Elisha told the king to strike the ground with the arrows, and this would indicate how completely he would defeat Syria. The king struck the ground three times, which angered the prophet.

One might say, "Elisha didn't specify how many times to strike the ground." And this is true. However, considering the fact that Joash, king of Israel, was not one to place his faith in God, he had more faith in what Elisha could do for him than in what God could do. Scholars will say that Elisha's concern was more about the king's heart, his willingness to trust God, than how many times he struck the ground.

This is where I find myself often, lately. Questioning whether I trust the God who sees, who has promised to provide, who created the universe and everything in it. I have spent time trying to analyze and break down what I can understand and create a plan of action that makes sense. I can't tell you how often I've heard the soft whisper deep in my soul, "Will you trust me?"

The answer to the question is simple, but it isn't easy. It requires surrender.

Surrender of control.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV).

It seems to me that this is where the meaning behind striking the arrows comes into focus. We look to the Lord with our weakness, our doubts, and answer, "I believe, help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Then we can follow up these words with acknowledging the truth of Jesus' words, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26 ESV).

It is impossible to surrender while trying to figure things out. It's like holding to a fistful of Monopoly money and trying to grab hold of gold coins without dropping any of the Monopoly money. You have to let the one go to grasp the other.

The key to this, I believe, is to decide whether we believe the Bible to be wholly true. Wholly for today. Wholly for us.

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And if the answer is yes, then study the Bible as a treasured letter from our loving Father.

Until next time, magnify the Lord in your circumstances 💜 Karlene J 💜