It felt awkward to have someone serve me, after all I’d come to serve that week and not to be served. I’ve learned long ago that I am filled by pouring out. It’s a weird economy. So when they offered a free lunch post-VBS, my low budget jumped at the chance. I feed teenagers now and with that feeding comes a hefty grocery bill. It is especially hefty during Vacation Bible School Week.

Many years ago I’d forged one of my dearest and best relationships over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich over just such a lunch. We both held wiggly babies, brown paper sacks on the table in front of us. Those wiggly babies are teenagers and now they too serve in VBS. That mama and I have been friends going on decades now. I treasure that and had it not been for that PB&J I am not sure we’d be the friends we are today. A free lunch and a chance at friendship were all it took for me to say yes when my teens asked if we were staying.

As I stood in the serpentine line that meandered around the corner I smelled grilled burgers and dogs, the kind that someone else cooks and never seem to be replicated at home, the kind that only requires that tiny packet of ketchup. I spied mamas and grandmamas with little ones herding them like disobedient cats. Chatter came from every direction, and crafts and goodies from the day littered the premises.

I was near the end of the line. It took a while before I finally reached the door leading to the food line.

A gloved hand reached out to me and the Womenslife minister asked if I wanted a hamburger or hotdog. I paused. She repeated clearly. It wasn’t that I hadn’t heard her. I had heard her. I just wasn’t sure. (I was thinking back on that moment and the scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie has gone to see Santa to request the coveted Red Ryder BB Gun. He has stood in line but when faced with the gravity of requesting the prize he goes completely blank and repeats “football” in a robotic fashion.) I chuckled at how I must have appeared to sweet Sheila, standing there, blank-faced, stunned into having to choose, a hamburger or a hot dog. In a Ralphie-like response, I squeaked out “hamburger.”

I was handed various side items and then a drink of my choosing. I sat down at a table next to my own teen, the once wiggly baby, and asked how his day of herding 3rd graders had been. He filled me in on the “flight risks” and “runners.” Being that he was a former runner, a kid at risk to vanish in the blink of an eye, abandoning VBS to the unexplored other things, I suppose he is akin to them and has a knack for picking them out of a crowd of 8-year-olds.

We sat at a table and P.K. handed out napkins. He made his way around a room full of volunteers, shaking hands, speaking words of gratitude and appreciation. Offering extra napkins to sticky fingers, messy faces, and Mamas in need. Paper napkins, that week I’d handed out my share, placing little cookies on each one for snacks. Now I was the recipient of those same kinds of napkins. I cast my eyes down as I thanked them, those who were serving me, but felt filled up by their kindness and sincerity of appreciation.

It was awkward to be served and not to serve but as the tables turned and I was being served I was reminded why the King came. To serve and not be served and how it must fill Him up when I serve others. A strange economy indeed.

 

My bouncy, black dog, Poppy, is a 12-pound ball of fur with a plumed tail and butterfly ears who loves to go. My simple question of “Poppy go car?” elicits a whirl of spinning in circles, his way of saying “yes.” When he sees me pick up his harness and leash, he eagerly sticks his head in and impatiently waits for the harness to be adjusted. Then he fidgets in excitement right beside me wherever I walk until I head out the door. “Poppy go dog park?” gets the same response, as does any phrase that begins with the words “Poppy go…” In fact, he loves going with me so much that when he sees me putting on my walking shoes he begins spinning, and if I’m not going anywhere he can go I have to tell him, “No. Poppy stay.” He loves to be on the go with his Master – me.

I wonder if I am as willing and eager to go with my Master? Are you?

Matthew 28:19-20 NIV says “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Our Master has given us a go, are we spinning with delight answering “Yes” followed by fidgeting excitedly waiting for Him to send us on?

Not usually. Often it’s more like…

 

Go ask that lady if she’s ok and pray with her.

What Lord? Me?

Go tell that person how much I love them and share my Good News.

I’m embarrassed to go up to her.

Go on that mission trip.

Me? I don’t think I could do that.

Go teach a youth small group.

Not me. I don’t know how to explain things well enough.

Go take dinner to your neighbor.

What? I don’t know her that well. That would feel awkward.

Go make disciples.

How Lord? I’m not ready.

Go live in another country for years and minister there for me.

And give up my normal life?

 

We fear we’re not enough, so we don’t. We fear we’ll fail, so we don’t. We fear people’s reactions, so we don’t. We fear walking into unfamiliar territory, so we don’t. We fear what we will have to give up to obey Jesus, so we don’t. We fear. And it stalls us out in our Christian walk. Fear is our enemy’s native tongue. He speaks to us in that language hoping we’ll fall for it.

But God enables us to stand firm in the face of fear. “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel because he has come to his people and redeemed them. ^… to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.” (Luke 1:68 & 74) Without fear! Don’t you want that? If you are like me and often live with fear hanging over your shoulder, this sounds like freedom. It is freedom. 

In a terrible storm, the disciples’ fear of death overwhelmed them. Jesus’ response? “He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement, they asked one another, ‘Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.’ ” (Luke 8:24-25) He shows us that the antidote to fear is faith, and He demonstrates His power to handle anything we fear. Yet still, fear triumphs over our faith and makes us hesitate. Take heed, His Word tells us “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Let’s make a choice to put fear in our rearview mirror and go forward with God. We are willingly submitting to Satan’s fiery darts of fear if we let that fear keep us from picking up and going when the Father says “Go.”

Let our love for our Master and our desire to be with Him so overwhelm us that we joyfully spin in circles answering “Yes, yes, yes!” whenever He says “Go.”

Let us wait in anticipation and go forth in faith knowing that He will equip us, protect us, and give us all the wisdom we need.

Let us trust as simply and honestly as my little pup, having faith, believing, knowing that He will take care of us.

Let us all be like Isaiah:

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ He said, ‘Go and tell this people…’ ” Isaiah 6:8-9

 

 

 

Sometimes I feel like the shopping is never done. No matter how many times I shop during the week, there is always something else we need. I try to make a list of what we need or what I am cooking because making extra trips to the store causes me to spend money on items I had not intended to buy.

My husband was returning home from being out of town for a week. This had been an extremely busy week for me and I had not been to the store. He stopped by Publix to pick up a few items he needed. He called me from inside the store and asked me what we were having for supper. He was at the deli and was looking at the soup that they had. He decided to get a bowl of soup and a sandwich. I asked him to bring me a chicken breast. He was at the deli, right?

I put together a salad as I was waiting for him to get home. He brought in his suitcase and computer bag and then went back for the bags from Publix. He pulled out his cup of soup and deli sandwich as he prepared to eat. I began to sort through the few things he had purchased looking for the chicken breast I had requested so I could place it on the dinner table with my salad.  Inside of a grocery bag all by itself was a package of raw chicken breasts. Raw Chicken Breasts!!! He was at the deli when I asked for a chicken breast!! Why would I have said a cooked chicken breast from the deli? When I asked him why he brought me raw chicken breasts he said “Oh! You wanted a cooked chicken breast?” I said, “You were at the deli!!!” What can I say, I love him.

Do we always communicate? Obviously not all of the time. Needless to say, I had salad for dinner and cooked the chicken the next day. He told me later that he could not find me a package with just one chicken breast so he brought me the package that had eight chicken breasts – 8 raw chicken breasts! Needless to say, I now specify exactly what I want when he picks up something for me.

On another trip to the store, I asked him to pick up a dozen eggs for me and he called me from the store. He said eggs were too hard to buy. He said there are too many kinds. You have small, medium, large, and extra-large. Then you have the store brand and the name brand. Then there is another division for organic eggs. We find that it is easier to FaceTime when he shops for me or I will google the image for him so he knows exactly what I need. My grocery list for him usually states what aisle the item is on and where on the aisle it is located.

As we have grown older together, we often finish each other’s sentences. Sometimes it takes the two of us to remember who someone is or what movie we are discussing. We laugh and have a good time with it. Sometimes it is the next week and one of us will say the name of the person we were discussing or the movie an actor was in. The other one knows exactly what is being said.

Communication is not always easy. When we speak, the words we say may make perfect sense to us and not be easily understood by others.

God communicates clearly with us. God’s Word to us is written in the Bible. It never changes.

Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”.

Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

“Lizzy Lessenberry!” Isn’t that just the most perfect name?! Mama’s voice was on the other end of the phone. I agreed it was a nice name but seeing as how she’d named me some forty years ago, I figured she’d’ve thought the same regarding my name. “Amy Elizabeth! Isn’t that just the most perfect name?!” I’d never heard such and I giggled at her excitement.

She had just finished telling me how she had taken Grace (her senior spoiled rotten dachshund) to the vet for a check-up. I laughed at that too. I am not such a vet checkup kind of dog mom. I am more of a keep the shots up to date, yard dog, feed them the food from the General Dollar Store kind of dog mom. Mama has told me many times, Grace is the best gift I have ever given her. She means it. So as she recounted how she had taken Grace for a check-up and another senior Doxie had been brought in “to be put down” she just couldn’t bear the thought and now Grace had a new roommate.

Grace and Lizzy Lessenberry.

I rolled, “Mama, do you really think Grace is going to share your affections?” She assured me Grace was fine with it. I was a bit less convinced.

“She has cataracts, but all old gals do, you know, and a slight heart murmur, but she is spry and lively. I just think she needs to live out her days in happiness.”

I laughed again, thinking Yep Ol’ Lizzy Lessenberry don’t know how good she’s got it now, car rides to the hardware store where she is pushed in a cart up and down the aisles of fixtures, paints, and aromatic lumber. Stops by the Starbucks on the way home for free pupachinos and maybe a quick nugget run. Weekly baths in fragrant doggy bath oils and now check-up visits to the vet. Yessir, ol’ Lizzy might think she’s already died and gone to doggy Heaven.

It wasn’t long after Mama got Lizzy that I learned a few extra things about her – lessons in perseverance and making the best of a difficult situation. Lizzy doesn’t have a tongue. Well, she has one, but most of it is missing, lopped off somehow in her younger days. She has adapted. She submerges her head to drink, eats on the side of her mouth, she still nuzzles as if she is licking her owner when she is happy, but she does not have a tongue to give those sloppy kisses with. She has earned the nickname “Bee-Bop” from Scott Martin because that is what he says she does, Bee-bops down the hallway or around the patio. Lizzy bounces and greets each new day with such enthusiasm.

A while back Lizzy had bee-bopped and bounced her way outside for her morning potty break. If I bounced to the bathroom the way Lizzy does, I would leave a trail behind me. Lizzy does not, typically she is quick to do her business and return to the kitchen for her morning hydration. Grace is slow and often hesitant to do the aforementioned. She doesn’t like to walk in the wet grass so early. Lizzy, however, is quick to relieve herself and bounces to her food and water bowls without issue.

One particular morning, she deviated from her norm as the fresh dew-covered grass had faint lines scrolled across it. I hadn’t actually noticed it at first until Lizzy was smelling those exact lines. I knew she couldn’t be seeing the lines but she was following them exactly. She bounced along those lines and I realized she was following a bunny trail. She had caught scent of the maker of the lines and lost focus of the task at hand. I called her name, and after the third time, and in a distinctly more stern tone, Lizzy Lessenberry refocused on her task.

There she was being a four-legged example of me and my walk with the Lord. So often I lose focus, distracted by the things of this world that I abandon the work that has been assigned to me. Likewise, the Holy Spirit has to call my name to get my attention and to get me to refocus on what I have been tasked with. I am grateful that when I stray, when I lose focus, the King is right there ready to redirect and to guide me just as my voice did that early morning for the perfectly named Lizzy Lessenberry.

I am afraid to die.

Anyone else in my boat?

I know it’s not the correct thing for a growing Christian to admit. We have a wonderful Savior, the promise of a glorious future, a home in heaven with our Creator for eternity, what could there be to fear? But I am. Fearful, that is.

You see, my life story includes experiencing death first hand as a child. On Valentine’s night 1972, 11-year-old me sat at our kitchen table with Daddy, Mama, and my little brother. We were making Valentines for each other. It is a sweet memory. Three days later, after being admitted to the hospital for some pain, my dad suddenly passed away from a massive heart attack… He was there… Then he was gone.

I don’t understand the psychology of what that does to a child’s mind, but I do understand the ramifications of how those experiences are lived out as a child growing into adulthood. One of the results in me was a feeling of abandonment by my father. Loss so great that I had a physical feeling inside my chest of emptiness. From that time on I have grieved and feared and dreaded any and all death: family, friends, pets, relatives of friends (people that I don’t even know). Death impacts me deeply. It may do this to many people. I don’t know.

I don’t fear death because I don’t have faith of heaven to come or salvation. I fear death because I don’t want to experience that loss again. And I don’t want anyone I know to have to experience that feeling. I sometimes cry to think of what my family will feel like when I pass away; I cry for them and their loss and emptiness.

Recently I found myself in one of those normal stressful times of life where it seemed that each of my four children had something serious occurring in their life at that moment. None of their situations had anything to do with death or illness. Yet, through that time I found myself waking up in the middle of the night with anxious feelings of dread, feelings that stirred that fear of death within me and made me fretful for life.

Early one morning on my deck as I was doing my normal routine meeting with the Lord, I began to journal furiously. My watchword for this year has been surrender. It’s obvious I was not surrendering. I wrote that morning, “I must let go and turn my fears over God.”

That day Hebrews 2:14-15 came up in my Bible study. Now I’ve read the Bible through from cover to cover several times in my life, random years throughout my life and every year for the last 4 years, and I had never “seen” this verse before. Ever had that happen to you? It’s when something so relevant and so profound springs out from the Word of God in your reading and you are shocked how you could have ever missed it. Here’s what those verses say:

As long as I can remember I have been told to unplug a plug from an electrical outlet by holding on to the plug and gently pulling the plug from the outlet. That being said, my life doesn’t work that way. The only plugs that are gently unplugged are the ones that are in easy reach.

As I was packing my laptop computer recently, I wondered if I would need an electrical strip to give me extra distance for plugging my computer in. I forgot that we recently purchased a different type of electrical strip that the cord came from the side of the plug in the electrical socket instead of the top of the plug. I say that so that you will understand that when I pulled the electrical strip’s cord, it did not come out easily. I pulled with a little more strength and the plug came free along with the broken plate and broken socket. My husband was out of town, so when I called him early in the morning, his first response was not “Hello” it was “What’s wrong.” I told him what I had done and that I was afraid I was going to burn the house down. He assured me that everything would be ok and he could make repairs when he returned home.

Why is it that we do not heed the warning until it is too late? And then when we see the result of our action, we want someone to fix it so we do not reap the difficulty of our action. As a child I was told to come straight home from school (I lived in walking distance), don’t talk to strangers, and don’t get in a car with anyone I did not know. These warnings were to keep me safe from harm. My Mother wanted to be sure that I would be safe when I was alone or with friends.

What warnings do we receive today? Don’t text and drive! Drive Safely! Observe Caution lights at railroad crossings. Do unto others….

God gives us warnings too. In James 1:19 He tells us to watch our tongue. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” In James 4:7 he warns us to “resist the devil” so that he will “flee from you.” We should heed the warning to confess our sins regularly. I John 1:9 ESV tells us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God also warns us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Ephesians 4:31

God gives us a warning to forgive others. “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.” (Colossians 3:13) “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14)

Our God is so good. He will forgive us when we do not heed his warning, but we may still have to suffer the consequence. How much easier life would be if we kept close to his word and did things right the first time.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

 

In my kitchen, I have a sign that says, “Sometimes when I open my mouth my mother comes out.” It probably wouldn’t be so funny if it weren’t so true. The older I get, the more I find I sound like her. The older she gets the more she looks like her own mother.

“Mama guess what happened today while we were at Grandmother’s!”

My brain began to imagine all manner of scenarios and possibilities, an infinite number swirled through my head. Last time I had heard that statement they’d found a rodent skull and brought it to me for my approval. Like Carter and Carnarvon uncovering King Tut’s tomb, their exciting archaeological find was destined to change the world. At least that’s how they’d acted. So, when asked, all I could honestly say was, “I have no earthly idea. What?” Maggie, unable to contain her excitement and wait until I’d finished taking dinner from the oven spilled out a sentence that forced me to give a puzzled glance toward Mama. As I slipped off my oven mitts and carried on with the tasks of dinner prep, I learned that apparently not only did Mama’s small-town Alabama have a garden club, and in a somewhat stalkerish-like manner they combed the streets looking for yards to win their beautification award, but also, I was standing in the presence of their latest winner.

“It’s really informal,” Mama said.

I giggled and Maggie proceeded to give, in detail, an account of how they’d been going about the day when the doorbell rang, and Mama had been presented with the award. I’m still a bit foggy on some parts of the ordeal, but it is perfectly clear to me why she won.

She loves the dirt. She likes to be outside. On any given occasion she can be found, sans shoes, clothed in overalls meandering about her yard with any number of garden implements. Her summer zinnias are breathtakingly beautiful. She will be the first to say being in the outside air is healing. I used to not believe or understand such a phenomenon until she proved me wrong.

Once I had the bad pneumonia. The can’t-shake-it-despite-big-meds-and-a-week-in-bed pneumonia. My kids were little and if it weren’t for an army of help I’m not sure they’d’ve survived my infirmity. I was ordered home to convalesce. It was January and it was cold out. Every day I talked to Mama and every day she’d said for me to go outside and get some fresh air. Every day I said ok and when we’d hang up I would roll over and go back to sleep. That was until she grew tired of my apathy and said: “Give the phone to Scott.” As I rolled over I heard him say, “Yes ma’am” and “ok bye” followed by dragging sounds indicative of moving stuff, opening and closing doors, dings of a microwave, and before I could say a word of protest he was dragging my pajama-clad self out to the front yard. He wrapped me in a quilt, shoved some warm hot toddy beverage in my hands and explained that I was to stay there “Cause your Mom said so.” By the end of the day, I’d taken a turn. I was finally on the road to recovery and the end of sickness could be seen. All because by proxy of my Husband I had obeyed her.

Now when I am sick, she doesn’t even have to ask, she knows I make my way to the outside to absorb and take in the healing of the sunshine and air. She’s often right, in fact, I’ve not really ever known her to be wrong that much. She’d beg to differ though because that’s just how she is. She is humble and kind, caring and loves unconditionally. She is easy to talk to and has an amazing sense of humor. She is artistic and talented, but again she’d beg to differ because she’s just like that. I have never known another quite like her and I hope and pray that there will come a time I am given the compliment that I act like my Mama.

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Philippians 3:10

This 4th of July you’ll probably go to the lake or cook out, ski or swim or sit out in the lawn chairs and celebrate wholeheartedly the birthday of our nation. We Americans will enjoy patriotic music, watermelon, and fireworks as we think of the independence we have because of the fight for freedom back in 1776.

As children of God let us also celebrate our dependence.

Dependence on a loving Creator who provides not only our basic needs, but many things for us to cherish and enjoy.

Dependence on Jesus as our Savior and Rescuer. The knight in white armor riding to our rescue.

Dependence on Him for our future, not only our eternal home in heaven, but for our daily struggles tomorrow and the next day and the next…

Dependance on the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Teacher.

This word, dependence, is not a word we like. From a very young age we each chomp at the bit for independence. Freedom. But as we grow in Christ we learn that true freedom comes only through submitting our lives to Christ. In God’s world of paradoxes, the first is last, the servant is the greatest, the impossible is possible, and freedom comes in daily choosing death to our self-will. So today as you say a blessing over your barbecue and potato salad, whisper a prayer to your Father and offer up that independent spirit as a sacrifice, and begin to live “in dependence” on Your Abba.

 

5 Timely Tips for a Successful Time with the Lord

I love the colors of summer. Beautiful green leaves swaying in the breeze high in the trees is such an amazing sight. I love watching the green leaves change from the soft, tiny, yellow-green colors of Spring into the dark green colors of Summer.

Along with the beauty of these wonderful leaves on these tall, stately trees comes my problem. My satellite receiver for my television system is in the only spot it could be placed at my home. Between the satellite that is sending the signal from high above the earth to my personal satellite receiver are these beautiful leaves of summer. My television reception gets bad once the leaves start coming out in spring. Once the leaves are fully formed, my tv reception goes from bad to worse. There are some work arounds but for most television stations, I have very little or no reception. It is not easy to get the tree limbs out of the way. My trees are so tall and stately. There is no easy way to trim back the tops of these trees to get the tv signal through to my home receiver. Oh my! Such a major problem for just a few tv shows. Before you tell me to use cable, I live beyond cable. We are checking into other options but still have satellite tv at this point.

Is there anything that gets in the way of your relationship with the Lord? Just as the leaves get in the way of my satellite system, things can get in the way of our relationship with our Lord. Does your mind ever wander during your quiet time? Do the prayers that you are sending up ever get pixilated like a distorted tv signal?

How can you keep your relationship with the Lord strong like a perfect satellite signal?

1. Get rid of the distractions. Set aside a special time to be alone with the Lord. Protect that time. Make this a part of your daily routine.

2. Set aside a special place to have your quiet time. A special place is important so that    everything you need will be waiting for you.

3. Have a plan for your bible study. Knowing what you are going to study saves time from not having to figure out what you are going to read.

4. Have commentaries or study guides available to help you as you read the scriptures. I find that if I use my phone to do this, I often get distracted and do not make good use of my time. If I need to use my phone for a reference, I try to shut out anything else that is open on my phone.

5. Have a prayer list. When you tell someone you will pray for them, do you really pray? A list keeps these people prominent in your thoughts.

As you spend time with the Lord, remember to keep the signal uninterrupted with nothing in its way. Ask the Lord to help with this so that your time with the Lord is used to its fullest.

Mark 1:35 tells us “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Luke 6:12 says “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

Luke 5:16 says “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”