SHHHHH!!!!

I have never been someone who craves quiet. In fact, I really do not study well at libraries, the quiet just leads me to get distracted and then there are the books – way too much distraction! About 6 months ago, I attended my Great Banquet, Peoria Women’s Great Banquet #14. It was a wonderful experience and one that I continue to cherish and learn from.

One of the most profound things for me was that I finally learned to seek out and enjoy the quiet and solitude of moments, moments that are all too rare. It was in this experience of listening to God, learning to be quiet, that I found how much I enjoyed the time to slow down.
So, this weekend while my mother was at her Great Banquet, I was at a nearby state park. With no obligations, waiting chores, to do’s, or places to be, I found myself sitting on a tree bent over a pond and listening to the buffalo. I love how they sound, their snorting and grunts, their breathing and sighing. I must have sat at that spot for twenty minutes, taking a few occasional pictures, but mainly just listening and watching.

There is so much to do in this life, so many wonderful things to see. With so much to say, partake in, and get done, it can be very easy to put off the quiet times. Oh, I’ll get to that later and one thought pushing another out of my brain and poof – it’s gone.

I wonder how much I really miss of what God is trying to tell me just because of my inability to be quiet, to sometimes just slow down and be. I know I need sleep for energy, need food for fuel, need exercise for strength, but my time with God – that is my solace and energy, fuel, and strength! I will seek out other times in the future when I can just go and be quiet, listening to the same creator who made those beautiful buffalo.

Take Me Away

Today, my mom is at the Great Banquet. Take away the daily distractions, the background noise of TV, computers, cell phones and try to really listen to God. It’s easier sometimes when we take away that background noise.



I will not be attending the Great Banquet, but still am going to enjoy my own quiet time. There is a cabin like place at a state park, complete with buffalo and other animals, will be my place for quiet time.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend – and I’ll be back in touch next week.

You Can’t Decide to be Invited, But You Can Decide to Accept

This past weekend I spent at the Great Banquet, a movement of the Christian community, was an amazing and overwhelming experience.  I will skip on passing the details along in such a public forum, as I would not want to ruin the beautiful surprises for those who may receive an invitation in the future.  What I will share are one of the most prominent thoughts  in my mind as the experience is still being sorted out.

So, journey with me for a few minutes as I recount how my path was taken away from the daily movement and noise of the world.  First of all, you will need to turn off the TV, the cell phone, and put away your watch.  Those times of quiet seclusion, tucked away from the business and noise of the world, were actually quite refreshing, and a bit disconcerting.  I found myself ready to grow quiet, and now I am still clinging to it, hesitant to turn on the radio in the car, the TV in the house. 

I think one of the things that comes most clearly to me are words from one of the women speakers,  in a quiet, clear, and gentle voice – the women sitting in this room were told that “We can not choose to be invited, but we did choose to come.”  Those words washed into my mind and my thoughts, like a wave that crashes in slow motion onto a beach.   Along with the choice of being invited and the choice to come, there were hours and hours of choices made by others to provide this weekend.   There were choices of others to serve, to pray, to cook, to clean, to give of themselves so sweetly.  Sweetly, with a purity of Christian community, moving with a purpose, joy, hope, and strength.  In gentle hands, I was held and hugged through tears and laughter as truth was celebrated, grace was resounding, and God was truly the head of the community. 

I met women whom I have shared a unique experience with, who I will forever be bound with in some way.  We have shared moments of insight, prayer, hope, peace, humbleness, laughter, tears, joy, and oh – the food!   But mostly, as God has joined our paths to walk together, we have worshipped together, held each other in prayer and joined hands and hearts together against the lies, fears, failures, sins, and defeats of ourselves and the world, refocusing our sight on God and His grace.

The parable of the Great Banquet is where a man has a great feast prepared (did I mention that we ate really well this weekend).  But, those who had originally told the host that they would come started to make excuses of why they could not come.  So, the host of the feast sent out his servant to fetch the blind, the dumb, the lame, and the maimed; with strict instructions to bring them back to fill his table.  The first group was gathered, but still did not fill the table.  So, the servant was sent out again – this time to the country roads to fetch those there and bring them back. 

As I think of those who were at the Great Banquet this weekend, it moves me again as to how strong this parable is.  Each of those invited to that feast were brought by a servant of the Master.  We were brought in, blind, dumb, lame, maimed, lost, seeking, wandering, and hopeful.  Through the human condition of our frailties and our failures, we are incredible messy creations – and just like that we were welcomed to the Master’s Banquet table.  And there are others working in the background to prepare the Masters banquet.  If you have ever felt invisible, lost, or just missing God’s presence, I urge you to quiet your life and seek God.  Wait for the invitation that the true Master will extend, and then it is up to you to decide.  If you have ever felt useless or not capable, I urge you to quiet yourself again and seek the Master to find out where you are needed.  There will be some that turn down the invitation, too busy, too imperfect, too this and too that.  You can’t decide to be invited – but when you are invited, choose your response well.

Connections & Foot Washing

Oh, the Calcaneus is connected to the Talus and the Talus is connected to the Navicular and the Navicular is connected to a bunch of other bones that form the frame work for the foot.   Sing along! 

The foot really is an amazing thing, it can twist and bend, point and flex.  Stand on those feet all day long, walking and moving along the ground and they can gather the dust of the day.  Just imagine walking around on dusty roads all day, or perhaps muddy roads in sandals.  The dirt would creep into the crevices, staining in the skin and would be hard to wash out.  Just like the bones are connected in the foot, the dirt tries to connect to the skin.  At the end of the day, put those dirty tired feet into a warm pool of water.  The dirt slowly soaks off with a gentle movement of hand over foot. 

There is a gentle act of serving in washing someone’s feet.  It requires you to humble yourself, to take time, and remove the dirt.  But, what it does not always require are feet and water.  Washing may mean that there is an act of service that occurs, something that is done to care for another. 

There was a man who washed a fellow walker’s feet.  Jesus was the man, he bent over and washed Simon Peter’s feet.  Imagine the moment – a basin is picked up and water is poured in, the clay would have darkened with the touch of the water.  With a towel wrapped around his waist, Jesus approached Simon Peter.  The awkwardness and hope of the moment must have filled Simon Peter when he realized what was going on in the room. 

John 13: 6-11

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

“No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
      Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

Simon Peter wasn’t just dirty with the dirt of the day, but was about to betray Jesus as well.  Yet, here was the Savior washing the grime off of all of those interconnected foot parts! 

Keep reading John 13 and realize that the example was being set.  An example to serve each other. 

 I am leaving at the Great Banquet today and my feet are being washed.  I am so honored and hope that the woman who has washed my feet through the sponsorship and her family will be blessed many many times over.

The Great Banquet

There is a story, a parable in Luke that goes like this….  

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'

"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'

"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

" 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'

"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "(Luke 14: 15-24)

Today I am heading to a retreat that has the name of The Great Banquet.  I will be tucking myself away from the business of the world for a few days with a group of other women as we all seek God.  Spending these moments in worship, learning, and quiet – I am looking forward to the time. 

Driving home from work tonight, I noticed the lights in the windows.  It is getting darker so much earlier and it makes the lights stand out.  I love the look of lights behind curtains or a framed window, softly shining out and glowing into the yard.  It is easy to imagine families gathering around tables, chairs scooting up to the table, calling for that last straggling family member.  But, how many of those meals are interrupted by those who are torn away from the table by the business of daily life?  The phone rings, the new show is on, going to go see a friend, work, errands, commitments….

Imagine that God is sitting at that table, how often do we push away from the table, away from God because of the urgent rather than spending time with the important?  This weekend, I am deciding to pull up to the table and partake in the banquet.

Polka Dot Seeds

Turn in my Bible to Luke 13, look very closely. No, look even closer!  Look, in the crevice in the bend of the book.  There, stuck between the two pages are three little yellowish shaped spheres.  Inside each of these little dots, there is a hidden plant that can grow in a wild green array to around two and a half feet tall.  From those three little seeds, if three whole plants grow and there could be thousands of seeds to come.  From tip of the roots to the top of the beautiful yellow flowers, this plant has many functions.  A versatile producer of vitamins, which can be used as a vegetable, and of course the condiment we all know and love (personally I like it best when it’s subtle).   What could they be seeds of?  Mustard of course!

Mustard has tiny little seeds, like the size of a large freckle or the head of a ball point pen – a polka dot seed.  And from there grows the plant.  People talk about having the faith of a mustard seed, it is mentioned in the Bible (yes, Luke 13 was a hint earlier).   But, what could that little seed have to do with a belief in something? 

Well, I think the obvious answer is to look at the seed itself.  I mean it’s really a very little seed, a little round dot – the miniature polka dot of seeds.  And yet, from inside of that seed there comes a plant that grows quite tall with many uses.  Faith, even when small, like a little polka dot, can hold the beginning of something much bigger and can see you through many different things.

When I put the mustard seed in the ground, I have faith that there is something that will tell it to grow, and for the roots to grow down and the stem to seek out the sun.  I can’t make it do that.  But, again, that’s like faith.  I seek, ask, grow with God in faith – but I don’t really have the power to make myself grow or change or find what I’m seeking.   The secret in that polka dot mustard seed is that it is more the seed, just like it more than just my wish or hope , there is a whole power source that is behind it.   The roots go down, soaking in the nutrients in the soil, and the plant grows up, growing strong in the wind and sun.  In faith, I must be planted deep, where the nutritional needs are met through learning and prayer.  Stretching tall, the worship, fellowship, and blessings all help me grow and spread the seeds of faith.  But, just a little seed sitting in a vacuum won’t grow – it’s cut off from it’s power source.  

I leave tomorrow for the Great Banquet.  I have spent time in preparation to not be cut off from my Power Source, but to be planted deep and watered.  Through this time, and continuing on through this weekend and on and on, I can continue to grow.  It is not because of my own power that I can do this.  It is because of the Power Source, the ultimate Power that continues to cultivate me, all the way from a polka dot seed.

Sweet Hour of Drawing Nearer Prayer

If you have been following the last few weeks, I have been focusing on preparing for a retreat time with God.  But, a week from tonight there will be a group gathering in the third of three prayer sessions praying about breaking chains.

Prayer time is so sweet, and so important.  Yet, it seems to be so easily filled with the noise of a busy life.  I wake up and hear an alarm clock, then the sound of the door unlocking so the dog can go out.  The coffee pot makes the nice percolating dripping sound, while there are teeth brushing, hair brushing, good mornings, and getting ready for the day sounds.  The fridge opens, I grab a yogurt.  The car starts, feet on the pavement and then the sounds of work.  Phones, clicking of a keyboard, voices, and filing drawers opening and closing fill the day.  The car again, dinner sounds, TV, family, and more doggy sounds.  My day is full of noise!  Even right now, there is a dog whining (sharing her opinion) and Creole music playing in the background. 

In all of the noise, in all of the busy time, it can be easy for the still small voice of God to be lost in the shuffle.    None of the things I mentioned above are bad.  They are a product of my life, in being where God wishes me to be, in serving and ministering where I am placed.  There is also an important part which needs the balance between the noise and the quiet time.  I can tell that I have not balanced it well when I start feeling beat up by life, bruised by the pace.

When that happens, I am reminded to dig in deeper to my quiet time with God.  It doesn’t come by forcing myself into some strange new practice of prayer.  Instead, it is in the quiet time that I retreat to sit at God’s feet.  Just imagine what that would be like, to sit at the feet of Jesus.  What would his voice sound like, what emotions would stir in his eyes, and my spirit would breathe in his words and love like a breath of fresh air.  Oh, and he would exchange my bruises for his healing, my tiredness for his strength and energy.  What an amazing thing!

I am only three days away from this retreat and how appropriate to be spending time tonight in prayer, drawing near.  I look forward to the time of quiet that is coming to pulling in tighter to Jesus’ feet.  And in that time, God moves – He answers sincere prayers that seek out His will!  He Answers!! 

Members Belonging to Members

I’ve been pretty much couch bound for the last few days, with a side table full of cold and flu accessories to prove it.  With my head a bit swimmy from the left-over effects of night time cold medicine or the non-drowsy effects of day-time cold medicine, this uncomfortable time of coughing and sneezing has been a really important reminder to me of the body’s members belonging to each other.

When I cough (I promise not to be gross), the lungs work, the muscles in the chest work, and dozens other instantaneous reactions occur.  The lungs trying to rid themselves of something that shouldn’t be there, do not act on their own.  Instead, it is the entire body acting together. 

I recently had a conversation with a friend on the “we” and the “they” of church.  The “they” were acting like a “they” and not a “we.”  Now, if that sounds like it’s written in some code, let me try and decode it for you.   How many times have you looked around in a group of people and thought – they should do… they shouldn’t do…. they did….they didn’t….they being the operative word. Then, think about the same group and same instances, but substitute the word we. 

In a church body, the thought must be we and not they.  Now, by body I do not mean denomination, location, specific church, age group, worship style preference, etc…instead, I mean the entirety of believers as one body.  And members are the cells, the molecules that make up a body.  In Romans 12: 4-5.  “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others”

So, when we have a body behaving like a “they” instead of a “we” then, we have a malfunctioning body.  Whose responsibility is it to fix that?  Well, Paul tells us in Romans that each member belongs to all the others.  So, if you are reading this and you are part of the body of Christ, you belong to me and me to you as members of a body, one cell – one molecule each to the other.  But, again – that question comes up – who has to wade in and fix this?

The answer is two parts.  And I love how God’s mind works, so opposite of a human mind, so much bigger and better. 

The first part is that we have to wade in, roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.  And – we will be equipped for this task.  Because, the very next lines in Romans 12 tell us – “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

So, we are given gifts, therefore some are cell membranes, some are primary or secondary cell walls, others are cytoplasm, pectin, or enzymes.  Changing the thought process to “we” requires the We to learn about, seek God over, and grow in our gifts.  And then, apply them with much prayer. 

This is only a part of it though, and many times I think that the body gets stuck here.  We may learn about our gifts, try to apply the, and even try apply them with prayer.  But, the second part is to understand our limitations as cell membranes or cytoplasm in the body and to ask for the Lord to change us individually to make what he wants us to be and to pray for the other members.  It is not my job to change someone in the body, but it is my duty to pray for them.  And to pray for them with understanding that they are God’s servant, someone who has been accepted by God.   (Romans 14:1-4) “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

Oh, that is such a statement to bring me to humility!  Such a way to say – WE are the Lord’s, not we versus they.  Who am I indeed to judge?  I am just as human, just as prone to sin and failure.  The Lord will work with me, to help me stand.  Instead of passing judgment, I need to pray for those around me to stand.

As I prepare for the Great Banquet, only 5 days away, I will be meeting other members of the body.  They will also be packing their bags, telling their families bye for the weekend, and leaving for the retreat.  I don’t know these other women, but I do know that God knows them. So, they are a part of the “we” if they are believers. 

Knowing that…. Lord, please prepare the hearts of these women for this weekend.  Please let this be a time of refreshing for each of them, restoring them from all of the hurry and frustrations of their days.  Please let Your Voice speak clearly this weekend.  Let the speakers be healthy, anointed by your Spirit and listening to your words as they prepare.  Let your will be clearly shown this upcoming weekend.  May those who host this time be blessed by our presence as they bless us by their time, their serving, and their effort.  We cannot bring peace, healing, guidance, or hope to any that might need it – but you can.  Please prepare us for a powerful weekend, where you are free to move and be heard, and where we are free to act and obey.

Postures of Prayer

I love sitting down with close friends, the kind where you all talk at once and still manage to figure out what’s going on.  You laugh and cry, are free to be yourself, be goofy, and be honest.  Movies, pizza, hands sticky in bread dough, sweating on workouts, romps through fountains, celebrations, mourning - it is all easier and better with a good friend by your side.  The talk isn’t always heavy, but it is meaningful. 

When I spend time in prayer, I feel like I’m having my friend time with my Abba Father.  Just like any friendship, I need to do my part to keep it strong and healthy.  If we have a disagreement, I need to go to my friend and make it right.  It’s important for communication to stay open, both listening and talking.  This precious time with God, is spent time in prayer and I love the idea of a prayer closet.  For me, it is under the covers tucked in bed and my Bible resting on my knees.  It is the quiet time, away from the hustle of the day when I can spend time in prayer.  You know, the thing about prayer postures is there are so many ways that I can stand, kneel, sit, and supplicate myself, listening and sharing with God.  But, wonderfully enough, and as much as I love my prayer closet time, I can also spend time with God in the midst of the store, at work, on a walk, or even preparing for a retreat. 

How wonderful it is to have time with the Almighty God!  How amazing that He would spend time with me!

The Perfect Time

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” Romans 5:6.  “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:14.  “But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time." 1 Kings 8:61.  “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 21:27.

Over and over, God shows us that his timing is perfect.  I was reading a devotional last night and it was talking about the value of waiting in prayer.  It is so easy to ask God – please do this, please don’t do that.  And these may be perfectly fine requests.  However, the hard part comes in the waiting.  I have asked, asked with the intent to prepare my heart to go to this retreat, the Great Banquet.  My job is to request, to seek, and to wait.  I cannot cleanse myself with hyssop, cannot heal my wounds, cannot fathom the strength and greatness of God.  But, He can and right at his own, perfect time.   

Running the Race

I’m not much of a runner. I never have liked to run, but I do like to walk and when my ankle and knee are working as they should, I like to walk quickly.  In great shoes, with the dogs, by the river, down the street, in the yard – quickly and slowly as the need and mood hits. But, the thing about walking is really getting to where you are trying to go and “finishing the race.” 

One of the reasons I never liked running is because of the classic stitch in my side.  That is that pain in your abdomen that you get when you are running.  And, really the thing about the race is that it is not always a pain free trip.  Instead, we hear from God’s word about “rejoicing in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”  Rejoice in my sufferings?  Wouldn’t that belike cheering because my side hurts if I’m running?  That picture seems so so wrong!  And yet, this is my limited human view that doesn’t really understand.

The thing is, is that as you have a chance to look back on a life serving and seeking God, you will most likely start seeing a pattern.  The difficult times, those stitches in our sides, they strengthen us and provide us depth.  God’s perfect gifts are not disappointments, “because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Have I experienced some stitches in my side?  Yes.  Of course! It’s life.  But, look at the chain of things that are coming about.  Suffering (that would be the unpleasant part), leads to perseverance.  In other words, the stitch in my side, teaches me to work through it.  This learning to work through things leads me to character.  Learning to stick out a task until it’s done, and to do my best at it – regardless of if it’s for public consumption or not. When I have character, then hope comes next.  Hope!  A precious flower of a word that both fills us and blooms in us. 

Eight days away from the retreat, and I’m thinking about stitches that I’ve experienced, along with learning perseverance.  Yes, those character building moments have come as well and so has hope.  I don’t always understand the stitches in my side, but I’m focusing on having deep down joy through the circumstances.

Masquerade

Imagine a small mask, shaped to cover your face from mid-forehead to your nose, shaped to fit your face.  Then, attached are brightly colored feathers of blue and green, beading in black and silver.  Velvety ribbon dangles over the rod used to hold the mask up to your face, delicately fringed in silver thread.  If I am holding up the mask, all you can see is a bit of my forehead, tip of my nose, and from about lips down.  The mask can be beautiful, but what does it cover? 

Imagine another mask, this one is a soft cloth, woven together. Pulled over your head, it will leave a spot for my eyes to show and look out.  Everything else is enveloped in a warm comfort.  The mask is functional, what does it protect?

There are many different kinds of masks.  Toy ones at Halloween, sports helmets can serve as a sort of mask, party masks, and others are all available.  We can also wear masks that serve to protect us, like the ski mask from the severe cold or scuba mask providing air underneath the water.  Other times we where masks of hiding who we are.  Wanting to keep everyone’s perception this way or that, we can wear a mask to enforce those ideas.  The problem with that kind of mask is that over time, it can be glued into our personality, making the removal difficult and painful. 

As there are nine days left before the Great Banquet, I’m praying that my masks will be gone and that instead, I can present my whole-souled self to God in our time together.

Layers upon Layers

I love onions, slightly caramelized and sweet from sautéing in an iron skillet. They go so great on home made pizza, chicken enchiladas, or foccacia bread. Wrapped in a delicate paper like skin, the layers each hold flavor and moisture.
People are a lot like onions, with many different layers. We have the outside layer, closest to the protective skin and that is what a casual glance would see. Those who know us better get to know further inside layers. Who really knows the entire us though?
Two weeks away, the Great Banquet is approaching. As I approach the day to leave, I’m thinking about the layers that God has been peeling away. Very carefully, so as not to injure me, one layer after another is examined. Then, the next and the next. Each brings something new, a new challenge, a new revelation. The thing to remember is that we are all rather onion like – we all have layers.

The wholesome body – Day 15

I sat at my desk today with my large blue St. Ambrose mug in my hands, warming them, and I stopped to breathe deeply of a very wholesome smelling tea.  Whether you like tea or not, some smells are just wholesome, not homey and sweet like homemade cookies, but wholesome and healing.

As I prepare for the Great Banquet, I keep coming back to Matthew 13:17, as well as the story of the Great Banquet.  It’s been seven weeks last Sunday that I’ve been hobbling around with an injured ankle and knee.  In that time I wondered many times why this happened, frustrated at my lack of mobility.  But, it was in the stillness that I found God’s whisper of peace and healing.  So, the banquet in the Bible, it became a feast for the lame and blind.  I was reminded during this time that I know what it is to be feeling stuck, as my leg doesn’t want to function properly, to hurt with each step or when there aren’t any steps being taken.  I know what it’s like to be metaphorically blind, to not see until I run headlong into the wall that life has thrown up in front of me.  With all of this slowing down, I have found myself focusing on this upcoming weekend, wanting to be prepared and that is when I found Matthew 13:17.  The many righteous and the prophets longed to hear God’s word, to see what this select group had seen and heard – and yet didn’t. 

Why didn’t they?  Why were they blind and deaf?  Maybe they were like mis-functioning antibodies.   Antibodies, the protectors of the immune system sometimes don’t work like they should.  Sometimes, they get confused about what they think is good and what they think is bad.  This thoroughly wholesome and wonderfully designed protection malfunctions, a sort of cellular misfire.  But why?  Well, if we look earlier in this same chapter, we can see that Jesus tells his disciples that knowledge is out there – God will give the knowledge.  But, this group doesn’t really see, doesn’t really hear or understand.  Instead, it talks about their hearts being calloused, with ears that are hard of hearing and eyes closed.  Now as funny as that image sounds, you should give it a try (carefully) and walk around with your hands over your ears, eyes closed and with an uncaring attitude, the funny part wears away quickly.  It sounds like some strange cartoon character or sci-fi creature coming to life away from the screen.  However, there are times when I know I have been the same way – thus running into things and missing the point until it’s too late (eh, what did you say???)….  So, hear I am – just really a few weeks away and I am asking – are my eyes open, are my ears open, is my heart soft? 

The body of Christians can act like these antibodies as well.  Imagine the body working, everything is going along just fine and then whoosh – the antibodies sense a threat.  And they march in ready to defend the body.  But, what if your antibodies have ear plugs in and have their eyes closed?  Or, what if your antibodies are there and healthy, but you ignore them?  As the body of Christ, we have a responsibility to act in a healthy manner; it’s a very holistic and organic idea.  So, I prepare to go and be of soft heart, with open eyes and open ears.  Then, may I be ready to serve as needed, to listen, to see, to heal, and too let God heal.

And We’re Walking….

A favorite TV show of mine has a spoof on museums in one scene of one show, where the guide in a too perky, too highly pitched, too perfectly rehearsed voice stops everyone at an exhibit to explain, and then it’s “and we’re walking”.  With that much information being thrown at them, in a perfectly rehearsed and modulated way, the people pretty much follow – such a nice little tour group, behaving themselves so well.   They are behaving as such a nice little herd of sheep.

Sheep???  Yes – sheep! 

Even though I find this perky museum tour giver rather annoyingly funny, she gives a great example of leading a group of sheep.   Leaders of sheep, leaders of people: both have a big responsibility to get the facts right, to lead well, because all too often we sheep just follow blindly.  Well, not so much blindly as with blinders.  Think about the last time you went to a museum, how much do you remember of the exhibits?  How much information did you take in? 

God doesn’t ask us to follow him with blinders, instead we are reminded over and over how good it is to ask for wisdom and understanding.  Now – we are at Day 16 before the Great Banquet.  I said yesterday that I was asking to be cleansed from the inside out.  Cleansing strips away impurities and now, I’m asking God to help this sheep know what to be ready to add to the packing list.  You see, sometimes we are protected by not knowing or are being prepared for something else later  - like those blinders, but being made to wait and being prepared do not put a limit on what God wants me to see.  Day 16, I’m asking God to add into me what I will need before I go to the Great Banquet.  That the wrong blinders will be taken away and the right focus will be given instead. 

I think about the men that are mentioned in Matthew 9: 27 – 31.  Setting the scene – Jesus has arrived in his home town.  Since showing up he has healed a paralyzed man, eaten with a tax payer, taught the disciples a lesson on fasting, healed a woman who touched his cloak, and raised a little girl from the dead.  As you might imagine, even without modern news networks, internet, phones, blogs, or texts, this kind of news traveled pretty fast.  Can you just imagine – neighbors telling neighbors, in the market place – “Did you hear about…”  Can you just imagine the families of the affected people?  And the little girl who was brought back from the dead, it says her father was a ruler.  So, the servants heard as well.  Some of them may have even been there the moment life came back to her body!   With all of that going on, two blind men followed Jesus.  Maybe someone guided them, maybe they moved with canes and care – I don’t know.  But, I do know that they asked with belief that the Lord would heal them  - and he did! 

I love taking pictures, taking in scenery and sights, seeing the faces of the people and furry creatures I love.  I don’t know what it would be like to be blind.  But, I can imagine how exciting it would be!  Maybe the first few minutes the light seemed overwhelming, colors were perhaps overwhelming for a while.  I wonder what the first thing they saw was, maybe the face of Jesus, their guide, the ground, the sun?  I don’t know.  But, I can imagine how precious that memory would be to them.  I’m asking God to remove my own blinders, to heal my “eyes” (my spiritual view) so that I may see clearly and see what He wants me to see.  

Seventeen Days – What to Pack

As I said yesterday, I’m getting ready for the Great Banquet.  Preparing to go, I will make my “normal” list of things to pack, have a map to get there, phone numbers just in case – I like to be prepared.

All of those things are needed, I mean clean socks, underwear, and a toothbrush are absolute necessities.  Still, my bigger packing list needs to include some other things.  I need to make sure that I have prepared my heart (kind of like doing the laundry).  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10.  So, what I get from that is that God has to clean my heart and restore me. 

Digging a little deeper, to clean my heart – I think of cleaning the kitchen or the bathroom.  I use strong cleansers that remove germs and kitchen spills.  Psalms 51 talks about cleansing with hyssop.  I’ve never seen hyssop, so I did a little research on this plant.  It’s a bushy evergreen with several uses.  The flower tops were used for an expectorant, to help heal bruises and cuts, diaphoretic (induces sweating), pectoral (medicine for respiratory disorders like asthma), carminative (gets rid of gas – relieves the pressure and pain), and to help relieve rheumatism pain.  There are also several time that it is mentioned that this plant produces a wonderful aromatic smell, something refreshing.  So, if I ask God to clean me with hyssop, it is much more than cleaning the surface, it’s a complete cleansing from the inside and out. 

“…Let the bones you have crushed rejoice” (Psalms 51:10b).  Has God crushed your bones before?  Imagine how painful it would be to have a bone crushed.  That type of injury wounds so severely that without proper and extensive treatment, there is a real possibility of permanent damage.  Why would God crush bones?  Well, sometimes an injury requires further injury before healing.  If a bone is not set properly, there are consequences, even though it may mean further pain at first.  But, here David talks about the bones God has crushed, and if someone is going to crush my bones – I would prefer God rather than anyone else.  He is the Great Healer after all! 

Okay – so, here we are at day 17, and I’m asking for my heart to be cleansed, so that I am ready for what will be poured into me by Him in a few weeks.

18 Days Till…

In 18 days I will throw my bag into the car and head to the Great Banquet in Peoria.  Sponsored for this women’s retreat weekend, the idea is based around the parable in Luke of the Great Banquet.  If you aren’t familiar with it, the story goes like this…

Luke 14: 15 - 24

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."  Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'  "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'  "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'  "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'  "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'  “‘Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'  "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.  I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "

I don’t know about you, but I have had my times when the banquet was spread out for me, the invitation was sent and then at the last minute – I waffled and didn’t go.  Oh Lord, thank you for the invitation, I’d really love to   (fill in the blank)   but, I’m tired, busy, disagreeing, ignoring, etc…  But, really the invitation was just so thoughtful.  And at other times, I’ve been one of the poor, crippled, blind, and lame who is ushered into a feast that is so extraordinary that I am overwhelmed.

This is part of the reason I am so excited to go.  I am at a time in my life where the chapters are changing.  The last three years consisted of hectic schedules with work and school, growing, and learning.  That part of my life is done, the degree in hand, and no more nights of economic math.  But now, what to do? 

Have you ever felt that you were standing between the last page of a chapter in your life story and the introductory page of the next chapter?  You have clear sight of what has happened, though there may still be ripples and ramifications that are not understandable yet.  Still, the new chapter has not progressed to the point that you are sure where the plot will lead and so, there at the metaphorical literary cross roads you stand.  There I stand.

So, in the next 18 days, I’m going to start focusing this writing a bit more on preparing for the Great Banquet and what that means.  It will be the turn of a page for me, to be a bit farther in this next chapter.