New Beginnings

I have to confess, I'm one of those. I resolve at the beginning of most new years, that "this time" things are gonna be different. Less junk food, more time on the bike; less spending, more saving, less time in front of the boob tube (that's what Daddy called it), more time in the Word or with family or working on a stress-relieving hobby ... My guess is that you know the resolution routine as well. Some of us have made headway before, but rarely do any of us make it past the first weeks, much less the first months. And, everything 'new' becomes old again.

I was reminded this week that in the face of all the things we want to be different or are afraid will be different, there is one bankable truth we would do well to remember: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). No matter what will be new in my life or for how long, Jesus is the always ... He is always my friend, always my brother, always leading toward his best, always patient when I meander, always loving, always challenging. I can depend on Jesus to be the same strength, the same peace, the same courage, the same Life-giver as always, regardless of what is shifting in my life.

You know, God offers Job an answer that is helpful for us to hear. While I think I've got a pretty good handle on things, it's really God who's got it under control. In the face of Job's increased whining and lack of understanding though he is faithful, God reminds Job of just how capable He really is. (Check out Job 38 and 39.) For instance, who takes care of the desert with nobody in it? God does. Who's responsible for sending the lightning bolts on their way? God is. Who sees the fawn born when no one else is around but Mom Doe and who delights in the wonder and beauty (yes, beauty!) of, say, the ostrich? God, that's Who! If God gives a whit about the uninhabited desert, the here-and-gone lightning bolts, fawns born under the protection of forest depth and creatures like the ostrich who, on a good day, are a little goofy, God gives more than a whit about you, about me! Oh, by the way, God does give a whit about all those things and more ... He is the creator of it all, of course God cares about His!

God cares that you want to see changes in your life. More than that, God longs to be the Power in your life that will enable those changes. Paul wrote in his letter to the Christians at Corinth that Jesus is God's "YES!" to all the promises God's ever made. Jesus is your "YES!" And, mine, too. Tomorrow may be a new beginning, but I'm sure glad to have the same, steady companion on the journey with me. The One who makes all things possible, the One who never changes, but makes it possible for me to change every day! He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow! You can bank on it.

Songs of Joy, Songs of Life

The last time it happened was in 2005. Christmas Day was on a Sunday. I have to admit that I was both bummed and thrilled over the prospect of "working" on Christmas Day. The hours spent in church that morning would certainly slow us down and the road has always been our home on Christmas ... trying to get from one place to the other so that no one feels left out or let down. At the same time, how cool was this going to be to start Christmas morning with those who call themselves by the name of this Baby King and live our lives for Him?!

Little did I know just how cool these intimate, holy moments would be. Elizabeth was seven years old that year and, for her first solo contribution to worship, she was going to welcome Christ to our hearts and home again with this beautiful little song, "Happy Birthday, Jesus." With no announcements and a short, soft prelude finished, Elizabeth took her place at the center of the platform and began to sing. Her voice was clear and, of course, child-like, but powerful. After that first chorus, she took a breath to begin the first verse. The tears started at the same time. Like Peter focusing on the waves and wind instead of his Lord, Elizabeth began to really see all the faces looking back at her and felt small in that huge expanse of worship space. Faster than Santa and his reindeer, Elizabeth's mom appeared at the top step of the platform. She put her arm tight around her daughter's waist and we could hear two voices instead of one. Elizabeth never stopped singing. Some words were cloaked in tears, some were basically inaudible through the sobs, but she never stopped singing. And you know it, when verse two rolled around, she stood straighter and sang louder, clearer, more confidently. Before we could realize it, we could only hear Elizabeth's voice. Though Mom was sitting right there at her feet, Elizabeth was offering her gift the way she wanted to ... she never stopped singing.

Sounds crazy to say, but those of us gathered for worship on Christmas Day were surprised by the presence of Christ that morning. In Elizabeth's mom we saw just what God was doing with-skin-on in Jesus. God comes alongside us giving us life and strength, staying close and empowering us to offer ourselves the best way we can so that others can see what life in Him is like. And, in Elizabeth ... well, in Elizabeth we heard the same call and words of hope that the shepherds heard, that Simeon and Anna clung to, and - if you've heard the legend - that the little drummer boy was willing to trust. You, that's the best gift to offer this Baby King. Sometimes our words (and actions and thoughts and attitudes) will be cloaked with tears or worse. Sometimes our 'offerings' such as they are will be indistinguishable through the crud in our lives that is not of God. But, this Baby King loves us just the same and, I believe, was blown away by Elizabeth singing "Happy Birthday, Jesus" and is glorified and thrilled by us giving Him what we have.

Christmas Day doesn't have to be on Sunday for any of us to feel the holy weight of the moment. Those moments with Elizabeth and her mom changed my understanding of Christmas forever. This year, may you feel His presence, may you understand that Jesus was born for you, and may you never stop singing!

The Hard Work of Waiting

The Advent season is about waiting. And, watching. Those who call themselves by the name of Christ spend these weeks leading to the celebration of Christmas preparing for Christ's coming. Busy work is a part of that - decorating the house, attending parties, softening our hearts, watching for hints of the Divine to come (and already present). But, the bigger part of the work will always be waiting. That shouldn't be a surprise to us; we do a lot of waiting in our lives. We wait on everyone and everything at some time or another: at the bank, on the check-out clerk, for a call back from the Doc, at red lights and moving trains, on a family member or a friend, for lab results, a grade on our paper, or a phone call from a friend. I'm beginning to realize that how we wait is a bigger issue than if we will wait ... 'cause we're gonna wait.

The concept of waiting has caused great angst in my household in most recent days. For an entire week, Izzy (one of my four-legged girls) kept her nose in the outlet beside my rocker. Oh, she took breaks for treats or for a nap on my lap, certainly to take care of business and to get slurps of water. But, the rest of her waking moments? Trained on that outlet so as not to miss a thing. When I discovered that it wasn't the charm of the outlet but the smell of a mouse that had her wrapt attention, I set traps. In all the important places from one end of the house to the other. Fifteen minutes after the first trap was placed behind the refrigerator, I heard a loud "SNAP!" echo from the kitchen. Simultaneously, I was proud, relieved, and grossed out at the prospect of what that sound meant. And, I headed down the hall toward the kitchen only to be met by Izzy coming from the kitchen. And, licking her lips! Now, I was only horrified at the prospect of all that might be ... until Izzy turned to head back to her hunting grounds and revealed the sprung trap (minus the little hunk of cheese and smear of peanut butter meant to entice a mouse) hanging from the curls on her left back haunch! What's Izzy doing with her free time these days, you ask? Well, she's not mesmerized by the outlet any longer, but she does have a newfound hope in the tiny space bewteen the refrigerator and the wall. Waiting on whatever is there, whatever might show up keeps her occupied for the most part.

I don't believe that God baits us like I did that mouse (and, oh how I hope it's only one, the one we caught!). I do believe, however, that we give up on the promise of good stuff, of God-stuff coming to us and we don't wait like Izzy. We won't. When our prayers aren't answered the way we hoped or asked, we are tempted to think that God didn't hear, doesn't want to hear, or that somehow we didn't ask rightly. Often, when the circumstances of our lives don't get righted the way we figured God would fix them, we quickly assume that God's punishing us or that God doesn't care enough to fix things. The next step in this thought parade is to give up waiting on God and find another plan B to work on ourselves. We all need to be reminded that the Truth is that God is always right on time. Also, the truth is that we'd much rather God work according to our own agenda and timeline.

What happens when we faithfully, diligently, and confidently wait on God? Things like this ... Zechariah and Elizabeth get that baby boy they've been praying over for decades (Luke 1:5ff)), a Godly young girl is chosen to bear Salvation to the world (Luke 1:26ff), her beloved trusts God even in the face of small town small-mindedness and is, in turn, trusted to raise the Son of God in a carpentry shop and under God's law of love (Matthew 1:18ff). And, Simeon and Anna - as old and tired as they both are - not only get to see it but they hold Salvation for all people in their own arms (Luke 2:22ff). All of that ... because they were willing to wait on God.

I don't know about you, but I want to learn how to wait like Izzy. My guess is that her nosed is jammed in that little crack this very moment just because good stuff came once before and she doesn't want to miss it when it comes again. With confidence, diligence, and supreme trust, I want to wait on God to show up again ... and again, and again, and again. 'Cause that's just who God is. I get it now. How we wait is much more important than if we will wait ... 'cause we're gonna wait. And, if we're smart, we'll wait on God no matter what, or how long. My suspicion is that with God, not only is everything possible, but it will always be worth the wait!