The Sycamore

The old sycamore leans precariously over the creek, its top branches reaching far across to the other side of the meandering four-foot-wide stream. The root system, partially exposed, clings tenaciously to the bank of the stream, like fingers clawing into the soil, desperate for a hold in the earth, lest the white-barked tree topple. The gnarled finger-like roots reach deep into the soil, drawing up water. The life-giving water courses through the tree’s circulatory system, sustaining its vigor.

Like the tree, all living organisms require water for life. Without it, plants quickly shrivel and turn brown. Humans require water every day to stay healthy. Dehydration causes a wide range of problems, from dry, cracked skin to hallucinations and seizures. Without water, a human will die in a matter of days.

Jesus said, “I am the living water.” Of course, He referred to spiritual water, not physical. What happens to our souls when they don’t receive frequent spiritual nourishment? Without God’s living water, we perceive the world through earthly eyes. Our connections with God shrivel and the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, no longer thrive. In order to thrive spiritually, we must, like the gnarled roots of the old sycamore tree, cling to the spirit that nourishes our souls, drawing deeply from God’s living water.

Father, give me a thirst for your living water and teach me to drink deeply, and often.

Jeremiah 17:8 “He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

So Many Souls

One Sunday morning the members of my Sunday school class went prayer walking.  Several small groups walked the nearby neighborhoods.  Some stopped at each intersection to pray aloud together.  My group walked silently, praying as we went. 

 As my two partners and I walked our route, for me the recurring thought was “so many souls.”  I wondered:  how happy are the people in these homes?  Many, I’m sure are content.  Many have a relationship with God and a church home.  But how many souls are hurting, struggling to survive without God?  How many suffer from shattered marriages?  How many fill the spiritual void with drugs and alcohol?  How many appear happy on the outside but are miserable on the inside?  How many struggle with physical ailments or watch loved ones suffer with health problems?  I wonder how many souls along our walk lack the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  How many carry burdens that Jesus would gladly shoulder?  How many desperately need the peace that only He can provide?

 When we walked, we saw evidence of children living in this neighborhood:  Swing sets, bicycles, and basketball goals.  I wondered about the children.  Are these children learning about our loving God?  Do they know about His awesome power and amazing love?  Are they growing up in homes with loving, Christian parents who teach them about Jesus and model Christian behavior?

 While we walked, God opened my eyes and let me glimpse what He must see in the neighborhoods.  He doesn’t see fine homes, new cars, or stylish clothing.  He sees deep into our souls.  He sees pain and disappointment.  He sees spiritual hunger.  He sees souls lost without Him.

 We who know Christ have a responsibility to pray for those who do not.  We may not know the conditions of their souls, but that should not prevent us from praying.  There are so many souls in our neighborhoods who have not accepted the saving grace of our Lord—so many who need His peace and joy. 

 Thank you God for this glimpse into the souls who are lost and hurting.  May they develop a thirst for You.  Lord, there are so many souls; keep them on my heart and keep me praying for them—so many souls, Lord, so many souls.

Matthew 9:37-38 “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”

Tapping Along

After two months of participating in tap classes, I’m still loving them. For me, everything about the experience is positive. I meet new friends, get some exercise, and challenge myself to learn something new. At times, I must admit, I find my head spinning with so many new steps and terms: shuffle, flap, buffalo, brush, dig, riff, and many more. And then, when I add the arms, which are doing something entirely different from my feet, it’s like patting my head and rubbing my tummy at the same time. Whew! The mental work is more difficult than the physical. For me, it then becomes necessary to stop and think for a moment in order to learn a new series of steps or add arms. Once those brain connections are made, I can let my brain remind my muscles what to do and I can dance. Even though I’m sometimes frustrated when I struggle to learn a new combination of steps, I’m so glad I chose to take tap classes and challenge myself both physically and intellectually.

While I’m enjoying the challenges from my tap classes, I’m wondering about challenging myself in another area of life. What do I consciously do to challenge myself spiritually? Sometimes I’m so busy with life and getting physically and intellectually fit that I neglect my spiritual fitness. Just as with other types of fitness, I must challenge myself spiritually and not be content with the status quo. Just remembering past times of spiritual growth isn’t enough. I must look for ways to continually stretch my spirit by learning new steps: A new Bible study here, more quiet time there, a different viewpoint to ponder, and a challenging sermon. All these and more can stretch my spirit to learn new steps and new combinations of steps so my spirit can tap in time with my Creator. Once the brain connections are made, I’ve hidden His word in my heart and can allow God to be my life’s choreographer, guiding my every step.

Father God, help me to be more diligent in my spiritual growth than I am with physical and intellectual growth. Keep my spirit tapping Lord, keep it tapping.

What Should I Give?

As I prayed and pondered over what I should give to the church, I searched the scriptures for the things God has given me.

Before my own mother even knew me, He knit me together in the secret darkness of her womb.  He gave me life.  Whatever talents or skills I may possess are gift from God.  When I work with my hands, the strength and co-ordination given by God allow me to complete my task.  When I use my mind, God-given intelligence enables me to think.  Although I sometimes wish for different abilities, different looks, or a different voice, I am a creation of God’s, made exactly as He wants me to be.  He gives me my unique identity.

He gives me protection.  He hasn’t promised a life without troubles, but He has promised to protect me and provide a place of refuge when the storms of life blow.  I have experienced, and will again experience, grief, sorrow, despair, difficulties, confusion, and fatigue.  But God has promised protection and refuge.  He has given me a safe harbor from storms; all I have to do is seek that refuge, go to that harbor.

He is the source of all wisdom and love.  Whenever someone gives me wise advice, that wisdom comes from God.  Whenever I don’t know which way to turn or what I should do next, I ask for His wisdom, for He gives it liberally.  When others act in a loving manner, this is a gift from God, for God is love.  When I am able to do a loving deed for someone else, it is God’s gift of love in me that enables me to act lovingly.     
     
This wise, loving God has given me the ultimate gift:  He gave His only Son, Jesus.  He sent Him away from His heavenly home to live on earth.  He allowed man to nail His only Son on a tree, for me.  He allowed His beloved Son to suffer and die, to take the punishment for my sins, so that I could be pure, spotless, and sinless.  He gave this gift to me so that I, too, could one day live with Him in this heavenly home.

What, then should I give? Everything I have. Everything I am.                                 

Matthew 10: 8b “Freely you have received, freely give.”

Walking the Nature Trails

The path opens to a clearing larger than a football field.  Waist high brome grasses sway slightly in a gentle waltz with the nearly imperceptible breeze.  Nearby branches of the trees merely watch the waltz, too heavily laden with yellow-green hedge apples to dance.  On the far side of the field lies a painter’s palette of trees, just beginning to show their colors—green, yellow, orange, brown, and rust, accented by splashes of bright red sumac and strong, dark, tree trunks.  Wildflowers once stood in this field.  Three and four foot high dried stalks now cover the meadow, their seed heads white and full, ready to release millions of umbrella ribs to flower another field.

Eager to get to the bridge and the swollen stream, I risk a quick crossing of the muddy path.  My right foot sinks three inches into the soft black ooze, but I make it safely to the bridge.  The recent rain has forced the creek out of its bed.  Noisily it rushes through unfamiliar territory, over its former banks and around tree trunks, its strength rippling the mud-brown water, carrying foamy bubbles downstream.  The rushing water rocks the dying trees, tipping them on their sides from the water’s force, but their roots hold firm against its assault.  One tree reaches toward the flood, its green and yellow leaves bending toward the water like a girl bending over to wash her hair. 

A man in a bright orange shirt jogs by on the muddy path, his leashed German shepherd loping at his side.  For a moment, I think how alone and vulnerable I am.  But the rushing water quickly lulls me back to my peaceful reverie.  The surface ripples, like a cat flexing the muscles on its back.  Walking to the far side of the bridge, not watching where I am going, I step in the mud again and my foot slips, nearly dumping me on my backside.  Perhaps it is time to head for home?  Reluctantly, I amble across the bridge, promising myself to return soon.

As I walk home, I realize how seldom I take advantage of these nature walks a mere quarter mile from my home.  The peace, beauty, and serenity of God’s handiwork lie just outside my front door to enjoy whenever I choose.  How seldom I choose! 

Lord, forgive me for those many times that my nearsighted eyes fail to see Your grandeur.  Open my eyes to behold Your glory.

Amos 5:4b “Seek me and live.”

Be Nice to Your Brother

When my two oldest grandsons were younger, they loved to torment one another: A poke here, a kick there, and a headlock for good measure. While they spent some time at my house, I had a mantra for them, “Be nice to your brother.” That helped them remember to be kinder… most of the time. Today they’ve outgrown that stage and are very close even though they occasionally give one another an “affectionate” poke or kick.

We adults generally don’t torment one another with kicks, pokes, or headlocks. We use something much more harmful: words. An unkind word here, a sarcastic tone there, and some backbiting gossip for good measure. Sometimes our human nature asserts itself and we just aren’t too nice to one another.

When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about which commandments were the greatest, He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind….And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37 &38 NIV). I’m sure every one of us is guilty of those verbal pokes and kicks to our neighbors and to our spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ. Fortunately for us, Jesus will forgive us. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  With His assistance we can follow the second greatest commandment and love one another.

Lord, forgive my unkind pokes and teach me how to be nice to my brothers.

Interrupted

None of us likes to be interrupted.  From a young age, we tell our children, “Not now. I’m talking. It’s not polite to interrupt.” Children, of course, are persistent, tapping the parent on the shoulder until the child has Mom or Dad’s full attention. These interruptions try the parents’ patience, but eventually the child learns not to interrupt.

When Jesus walked on this earth, He was the master of interruptions. He saw society shunning the poor and the ill. He interrupted with compassion and healing. He saw people burdened by an oppressive Roman government. He interrupted their oppression with hope. He saw religious leaders consumed with the letter of the endless list of laws. He interrupted legalism with grace. He saw His people burdened with sin and hungry for righteousness. He interrupted their burdens by bearing them on the cross.

Even though Jesus, the man, doesn’t walk this earth today, Jesus, our Savior, continues to interrupt. He’s tapping on our shoulders, trying to get our attention. He wants us to see the needs of the poor, the ill, and the oppressed. He wants us to open our eyes to legalism, and the pressing need for grace. Tap, tap, tap. Will we allow our lives to be interrupted? How and when will we respond to His insistent tapping on our shoulders?

Luke 14:13 "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."