Wind Just For Me

Winter in Iowa this year means cold and snowy days, bookended with bright sunshine and bitterly cold wind. Winter does have its benefits when living near the Mississippi River, watching eagles travel the waterway in search of open fishing spots. Almost two weeks ago, the wind had kicked up; making my face freeze in moments, finger tingling and nose chilling whenever I stepped outside. Wind in these cold temperatures where you have to lean into it to move forward; it makes me want to curl up in a warm blanket, in the sun, next to the pot bellied stove with a blazing fire inside of it and a cup of hot coffee inside of me! Heading out for a dentist appointment I had to brave the wind. As I walked from the office to the car in my many winter layers, I was grumbling to myself about the wind. It stung me with gravels and tiny pieces of ice kicking up with the gusts; leaving me digging in my purse for sunglasses to shield my eyes against the incoming micro assaults. 

Walking quickly to get out of the cold, I saw an eagle weaving in and out of the buildings along the road next to the river. A young eagle with wings stretched out fully, twisted into tight turns and then dove toward the earth only to catch the next wind and rocket back up into the sky. Skimming from the tree lines to the ice covered river, and then ascending in wide slow circles, other eagles performed a ballet on the wind. They seemed to only hold themselves ready, moving in faith to catch the invisible wind and trust that it would be there.

Invisible wind and eagle trust; my own thoughts started to catch flight and ascend as well as I continued to feel the wind against my face. It still made my fingers and nose tingle and my face feel frozen and stung. The same invisible wind stinging me was sending the eagles up in acrobatics against rocketing plumes of air. I saw them reach higher and higher, and then dip into dives with agility a pilot would envy, only to move to the next column of air and rise again.  Invisible wind and soaring flights; a thought was hovering on the edge of my mind and slowly built throughout the day.

I am someone who likes a plan.  I have found I can run with changes, but I prefer to know what the end game is.  Okay – the end game and all of the steps along the way.  In detail – copious detail…. When change comes without any of these things, I feel more like I have been tipped into the open space with the eagles, only with no wings and no wind. The thought of invisible wind and eagles grew in my mind, uncurling and suddenly it was a full thought; that wind was for me! That wind that stung my face suddenly held all the promise of summer as I heard the still small voice come back to me.  “Do you not know?  Have you not heard? ...They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Winds in life have been stinging lately.  They have kicked up debris and flung them about, stinging my face and making everything so very cold.  Where is spring; where are the soft warm breezes?  Where is the comfort and ease from the gusts that will knock me over?  And then, leaning into those very gusts, cold and harsh, I find myself celebrating them!  The wind – it’s for me!  It is my reminder in the midst of these difficult cold days of eagles spiraling on pillars of invisible air, my reminder that they are not merely  catching hasty moments in the air – they are soaring!

Invisible wind and my invisible God; they can both cause stings as I am lifted higher and higher on invisible mountains to new heights.  Let me lift up and stretch out my wings and soar. 

Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,"My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know?Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary     and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; 

they will run and not grow weary,    

they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40: 27-31

I Want to Do It All – Just Not All At Once

   Terri Clark came out with a song several years ago, “I Want to do it All”. I can completely relate! While I think that a lot of the things are on her list sound like fun, my own list takes form. However, I cannot just take a few days off, get it all in and be done. I do want to do it all, just not all at once!

   I had to turn down something a week or so ago, which sounded fun. But, I knew that my calendar was full and it just wouldn’t fit. So, I decided that it would have to go on the not all at once part of the list. That makes me feel better, knowing I don’t have to do it all at once.
   But, what to put on my list? Well, Paris in the fall does sound like fun. I’m not so much into the Mardi Gras scene at Mardi Gras – way too many people smushed into those streets for me. But, I wouldn’t mind going back to New Orleans. Let’s see what else…. I want to go to Marrakesh and shop in the bazaar, I want to make something beautiful, I want to take photos and have a display, I want to write a book, I want to plant a herb garden, I want to watch a space shuttle launch, I want to go back to IRAM and watch the horses, I want to serve and to help, I want to be a friendly face for someone who needs it, I want to be a success in my career, I want girls trips with my dear friends, I want to go to Wales and Scotland… My list could go on, that is only the beginning.
   Is there anything I should avoid because it sounds too difficult? No! Because through all of this is a desire to go where God wants me to go, to do what God wants me to do. I am the only me and want to be the best me I can. You are the only you, and I hope you have the same aspiration. So, my list changes over time with guidance from a Heavenly Father. Dream big!

Ecclesiastes Considerations

   About a year ago, I was going through a rough time and a friend passed along a verse to me. It has since made it onto a yellow post it note, scribbled with some green marker ink, and has a home tucked partially behind my computer monitor on my desk. Somewhere over the last year, the post-it-note got wet, so a few of the words are a bit smeared. But I can still make out the words of Ecclesiastes 7:14. “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.” It has been a comfort when things are difficult to remember that God makes what I think of as good and bad times.
   So, without diving into waxing philosophical about why God would make good and bad times or not want us to discover about our future, I take comfort in knowing that God’s hand is in the total plan and the minute details.

Preparation

I can be a bit geeky at times. No really, I mean it! But, trip planning for me is normally the time to kind of let my inner geek have a field day. I blame it on all of those years of travel with my mother who diligently read the guide book to me, instructing me and insisting I had the history of each town we came to. But, for trips normally I have a three ring binder with all of the maps, confirmation numbers, contact information, location information, and budget information all neatly three hole punched and put together. A pocket that is also three hole appropriate normally resides in the back – or rather two. One for pens, pencils, sharpees and any other miscellaneous small item and another for receipts and perhaps the unwitting seed I might find and want to save.

As I prepare for a trip home, the preparation this time has been a bit different. Business of life has led me to gratefully rely on my mother, for this girl’s trip, to take care of all the minutia of planning. I know she has done a fabulous job and it has been an enormous stress relief for me. All I have to do is get some clothes, the camera of course, and various plant gathering tools thrown into the van between now and our departure. The preparation for a trip is part of the fun of a trip, as you build anticipation of what you will see and who you will get to catch up with.
My three ring binder will be staying at home this time...       maybe.

The Plot Thickens

Ever wonder why plots thicken instead of grow darker or thinner or spinning or some other action? While nearly everyone else is trying to be thinner, the plot gets thicker... The plot in this case is a story of the world, the people of the world, of you and me. The days we mark in the Easter celebration were not a celebration for the people who were intimately acquainted with the events of the day, who actually felt the tension, saw the strain. Instead, these were days of sleepless nights, worry and even despair.

The chief priests had been trying to stir up trouble, to discredit Jesus. They had set their hearts on killing him. Those who were drowning in sin were trying to kill their rescuer.

Jesus said to his disciples, “‘As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified,’” (Matthew 26:1-2). What was his tone? Resignation, grief, dread, resolve? I don’t know. But I can imagine the response of my own self, disbelief, shock, denial, grief, and fear. Followed by tidal waves of anger, frustration, and vengeance, with perhaps even a microscopic ray of hope as the man who you have come to love as a brother, who inspires and teaches you, who is so pure and good is about to be shamed and tortured as a felon.

“Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. ‘But not during the Feast,’ they said, ‘or there may be a riot among the people,’” (Matthew 26:3-5). A sly way of arrest, sneaking around – sneaking around with the intent to kill. And why not during the feast? Well, the feast was Passover, when public opinion had not yet turned against Jesus. If the people rioted, then these men would lose a significant amount of their power base. Don’t you recognize the media control that is going on here, just like it has since and does today? Which news cycle can we get that in? How far back in the paper will it be so no one notices? Leadership is a very difficult thing, and we must remember to pray for our leaders. Yes, even these leaders needed prayers. Because, when it came down to it, they were drowning in their sins. And when the lifeguard tried to rescue them, in their panic and dismay – they tried to drown the lifeguard as well.

And the plot thickened....

The Lesson Repeated

In the verses before, Jesus emphasized that we do not know the hour, the time, the place when God will move. This is reinforced in the next two parables, in Matthew 25: 1-30. I’ll include the verses below, but instead talk about the lessons instead…


When will this happen? I am someone who likes a schedule, I like plans, lists, etc… I can roll with the punches, but do much better in the framework of a general schedule. Then, I would really prefer to know as much as possible ahead of time. What can I say, the world needs planners. Not terribly change resistant, so long as I understand the why of the change. I am the personality that would have been saying, “Um Jesus, could you give me some more information? I could plan so much better if I knew what and when.”


That is something that God has been working on in my life. I still use, and hone, my planning and scheduling abilities. It’s a busy world out there, and if I have any hope of not wanting to get flung off of this gravitational orbit on a weekly basis for a break, I have to have a schedule. But, at the same time, I need to relinquish the greater control and schedule to God. I have asked myself why that is so hard. If I trust God, if I really believe that He is always good – why is that so hard? Wanting to improve upon that in me, God has placed me in some situations where I had no choice but to either go cry in the bathroom (which I did at times) or to trust in Him, lean on Him. My leaning skills got better, my bathroom crying days got less. The trust leads me to want to keep the trust, to keep the trust I have been given by Him.


The Parable of the Ten Virgins
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
'Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.


The Parable of the Talents
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.


"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'


"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'


"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'


"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'


"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'


"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.


" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Fulfilled

A donkey and a colt, prophesied by Zechariah came true.

“Rejoice greatly, o Daughter of Zion!

Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem

See, your king comes to you,

righteous and having salvation,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Zechariah 9:9

All planned in advance, far in advance, every detail was set to fall in place.  This wasn’t some guy down the street noticing that the disciples of Jesus were picking up a donkey and colt for use.  This was long before any of those people were even born! God’s details are so well planned that they are set up long before the guests are even invited. 

Jesus was preparing to enter Jerusalem.  But, even how he was about to enter was a detail in a very carefully planned moment.

“‘Say to the Daughter of Zion,

See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey

on a colt, the goal of a donkey.’”

The king is coming!  All of long planned parts were falling into place.

Preparation

Have you ever prepared for a party?  It takes a lot of planning, especially the larger it gets.  Numbers, resources, invitations, all the parts must fall into place at just the right moment.  With experience, forethought, and attention to detail it can appear to those in attendance that everything is effortless. 

Coordination, attention to detail, every little part fitting in – sounds like a great job for the ultimate planner!  God, who planned the very creation of everything had a plan with every detail.  One was a donkey and a colt.

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her.  Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away,’” (Matthew 21:1-3).

Details are starting to show themselves for the upcoming events – in this case, involving a donkey and a colt.  It’s rather a comfort knowing that God is in such minute details, with such confidence.  I can’t say that I always approach every detail of my life with that kind of confidence.  Instead, it is too often that I try to rely on myself and end up missing important details.  What a wonderful thing it is that God’s details are perfectly planned, perfectly timed, and with every piece in place. 

Aspirations of Normalcy – Really?

Sit for one TV show and you will watch several breaks of commercials.  Obviously, they are commercials and therefore by nature designed to compel you to purchase, go, or act in a certain fashion.  Buy this outfit, fix your hair like this, drive this car, fit in – be normal.

But, what is Normal?  Should I really aspire to be normal?  Should you?  I have my own sense of who I am and who I can be.  Imagine that you are standing in a gallery filled with beautiful paintings.  Each is unique, each is different though there are similar themes found in many of them.  There paint has been mixed to fit just that canvas perfectly, blended by a deft hand and applied in a masterful way.  Lighting has been arranged to catch the best of each of the paintings.  Carefully hung, each is unique as you stroll past.  Now, imagine that this gallery is really the sidewalk of a street.  Each person you meet is a carrying a painting in their arms.  Each one is a unique work of art by the Master artist.  Unique, and I’m aspiring for normalcy?  Nope – I don’t think so!  I’m aspiring for something extraordinary.  How about you?

Road Maps

I love a good map.  Pulling open the paper, I can see the path the road will take.  Then, I can plan which way to head, if I need to diverge this way or that, or what alternatives I have.

It would be nice sometimes to have a map like that for life.  Tracing along the path, I could see joys, detour the sorrows, and avoid the hurts.  Honestly, that is what I would do if I could see that map.  I would avoid the hurts.  But, God puts the hurts in front of me at times, at other times He allows them to come into my path.  “It is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

The Lord’s purpose, the Lord’s plan is something that is a mystery to us.  We don’t have a map that shows what is coming next.  “Many are the plans in a man’s heart.”  But we don’t steer a straight course, we don’t go the way we should, and at times we get lost.  “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

We can take comfort in that, that the Lord’s purpose prevails.

~Proverbs 19:21

A Father’s Song

I can just imagine Zechariah holding his new son close, a little boy holding onto his finger and gazing up at him with eyes in a way that only an infant can.  Opening his mouth, he gave his son a prayer, a poem of song to prophesy what his son’s life would present.

Offering praise to God, Zechariah prophesied that his son came, not to be the source of salvation, but instead be the herald to the one who would!  A father’s pride in his son having a purpose that was part of God’s plans was the role John was being spoken to about by his dad.  I wonder if it was one of those quiet moments between father and son, holding the baby close and talking to him, praying over him in the quiet of a nap. 

Zechariah started with praise – Praise God because He has brought redemption to His people!  Oh the journey that the people were taken through, from creation and a flood, from Egypt to wandering, from bondage by neighboring nations to national freedom, and now – from true bondage of the soul to true freedom.  Each of the steps that God had planned were a step in “showing mercy and remembering his holy covenant,” (Luke 1:72).    The difficult times were also a part of this, even though I’m very certain that when the people were going though them it was heartbreaking to understand.  Have you ever felt that way in your own life?  I have, times when I have wondered (quite loudly) why something difficult is happening, why God is allowing that to happen. 

I love the next part of this, as Zechariah remembers the difficult times the people have faced, and then goes on  ^“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 1:74-75).  Times of difficulty to enable us, can you imagine?  That is just not the way my mind thinks so it’s hard for me.  Enable, to authorize, make possible, permit, give an okay to, consent – God how could you consent to those difficult things?  Yet, somehow I don’t think Zechariah didn’t even stumble on those words.  I think that this man had a much broader understanding, I think of how this new father has a different awareness in the role of a father.  He will hold his son close and teach him, and part of that will be allowing young John as he starts toddling and growing to learn consequences.  This sense of boundaries, knowing what can and cannot be done, knowing what to expect from the choices that are made is an authorization of a parent to give (yes – give) a child a better and wiser confidence in choices. Zechariah, what a heart he must have had, realizes that the people are enabled to serve without fear because the Lord has proven over and over the consequences of stepping out in trust were to find the Lord ready to support and tend.

Then, Zechariah’s attention turned to his son, John, you “will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,” (Luke 1: 76).  John – you are going to be a prophet of God, one who will help prepare people to hear what He has to say.  And then, going on…
 ⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation
      through the forgiveness of their sins,
 ⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
      by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
 ⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness
      and in the shadow of death,
   to guide our feet into the path of peace."