Joy in the Journey

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 We were not created to be earthbound. I know this but just a few minutes ago I read an essay that expanded on that truth. It really stuck with me because of the way the author described the tension of waiting to go home. I think he was trying to make some sense of why bad things happen but that wasn’t what grabbed my attention. It was the mention of waiting and wanting that got me. My husband Otto and I watch a television show in which the two main characters have been dancing around each other for a few seasons now. We all know they’re going to end up romantically involved at some point but for now we watch as their draw close and then draw apart relationship creates a backdrop for the actual story of each episode. It’s just one example of that tension that myriad authors and scriptwriters use. What makes this one different to...

But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 8:12 Does that verse make you smile? I hope you’re saying no. It does however make me smile and I can think of several more people who might smile when they hear it. That group would include my sisters and my cousins. You see, our Gram quoted it a lot. We had a few drama mamas in our family and their actions often inspired my Gram to quote Jesus, as brought to us by Matthew. I heard it used most often in reference to my sister Teresa. Let the tiniest thing happen and she would dissolve into total meltdown. There were often discussions of how to keep information from Teresa so that we could avoid the drama. Gram would then say, “No don’t tell her. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” She would say it in this phony, exaggerated voice that gave just a hint of her Irish roots. It was hysterical. I realize now that the verse is not ...

Blessed is the man you discipline O Lord, the man you teach from your law; you grant him relief from his days of trouble until a pit is dug or the wicked. Psalm94:12-13 The other morning as I was praising God for changing an attitude that has been plaguing me for quite awhile now; God spoke to me very clearly. I prayed, “Father, you know I would love for you to take away all of my problems, hurts and challenges. I’d love for you to lift me up out of all of my messes with your big giant hand but…..” Before I could finish my thought, the “but”, which would have been, then I wouldn’t grow or learn or become more mature if Daddy kept rescuing me from my consequences, always smoothing my pothole laden path, God spoke to me. He said, “But then you’d be (the name of a fairly young man I know who is a total mess.)” I’ll call him Little Man. Little Man’s mommy and daddy have been cleaning up for him for years. He has never paid for his own mistakes, walked through his consequences or t...

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 This morning I read a devotional message that said, “You are on your way to heaven; nothing can stop you from reaching your destination.” My initial reaction was, “woo-hoo!” I know that. I believe it. Yet seeing in print, so clearly defined, was amazing. In thirty days I’m going on a cruise with my daughter, her boyfriend, her two daughters and my precious hubby. Nice, right? Wait, it gets so much better. This is no ordinary cruise. It is a Disney cruise. Still not the best part. Want to know why? The best part is that it is a gift from Laura and Brandon. When Laura first told me about it I was shocked. After the initial shock and protests about the extravagance subsided, I began to get excited. That excitement was enhanced by the questions my granddaughters, Faith and Madelyn keep asking me. They are six and four and want as many details as my one prior experienc...

David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness? Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.” 2 Samuel 1, 3 Mephibosheth is an interesting character. Most of his story is about what he isn’t and doesn’t have, not about what he is or does have. Beyond that it isn’t even so much about who he is, as much as it is about his father, Jonathan, another interesting character. Jonathan is David’s best friend. He befriends and protects David’s life at risk to his own. Due to their deep friendship David has a covenant of protection for Jonathan and any and all members of his family. Now settled into his role as king, he asks for any member of Saul’s house that he can care for to honor Jonathan. Turns out there is, Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son. Perfect right? Yes, except that poor Mephib is cri...

In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would not have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. John 14:2 What do you think of when you hear the word homeless? Do you picture a person with his/her life strapped to their back? Are you sympathetic? Or are you of the camp that says they put themselves there, so what? What about a group of people who have a place to lay their head every single night of the year? People who have plenty of food, clothing, and amenities, and in some cases far too many accoutrements. Can those people be homeless? The obvious answer seems to be no, doesn’t it? Wrong. A few years ago I noticed that one of our students never talked about home. She lived with her father, “my dad’s house” and visited her mother, “my mom’s house.” She was a rather needy child and it bothered me, no it broke my heart that she didn’t seem to have a home. At least she wasn’t sure enough to call either place home. In the last few years I’ve he...

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you; they are a burden and a reproach to you. Zephaniah 3:17-18 I find myself in a time of questioning. There is a lot in my life at the moment that I do not understand. There are Scriptures that I love, that I know to be absolute truth, that seem to not actually be meant for me. While I wouldn’t say that I’m having a crisis of faith I would say that I’m feeling a little shaky. These verses from Zephaniah are not verses with which I was terribly familiar until I came upon them one day while just thumbing through the Bible. I’d finished my daily readings and was just sort of looking around when these popped out. They seemed important and I noted them for future reference. You never know when you’re going to need a little encouragement, right? I did not find them very ap...