Makes Cents To Me

I walk 30 minutes every day. And just about every day, I find a penny. I kid you not. It's like I'm getting paid 1 cent to go walking. And everytime, I say the same thing when I find a penny: "It's another lucky day!" Doesn't matter to me if it's heads up or Lincoln Memorial up, it's always a lucky day to me when you find a penny. Whether it's a shiny copper one or tarnished with time, I am sure to pick it up and carry it home. I never pass up a penny.

Yet, who knows how many other people have walked by and haven't picked it up. And even more disconcerting ... who's dropping them? Are people really just losing pennies everywhere they go through holes in their pockets? Or are they really that heavy in your pocket that you toss them out? Or it it that you are financially just fine, and don't have to worry about a measily penny. When did people begin disregarding the value of the penny? Are we Americans that arrogant that we can throw money away? Granted, I've heard it costs more to make the penny than it's worth. However, a penny is still 1/100th of a dollar. I figure in 100 days I will have myself a dollar just from walking. And you wouldn't just walk by one of those on the street.

How do we decide as humans what has value and what does not? A cardboard baseball card. Photographs. A piece of jewelry. Time. People. A penny.

One thing I'm truly thankful for is that God finds me valuable. Piddly little me. He never walks by me in disregard. He sees me there alone, sometimes shiny, sometimes tarnished, and loves me just the same. Me, a sinner. He found me so valuable in fact, that He sent His precious, sinless Son, Jesus, to die for me. He sent Him to die for you, too.

Each of us is priceless to God. Even if today you don't feel that way about yourself, I promise you God feels that way about you. While I'm collecting pennies to make a dollar, God is loving lonely souls to build a Kingdom. And if I'm shouting, "It's another lucky day," for just a penny, imagine what God is shouting about you! Jesus said, "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10). So apparently, even the angels are shouting!

Maybe I'd better start stopping by the people I walk by like I do the pennies. Telling lost souls the Good News of Jesus Christ! A collection of hearts on fire for Christ would be a far greater treasure than a piggy bank full of pennies. You can bank on it.

You know ... I think it's time for a walk.

Gum Scraping Weed Digger

Today I got to spend an hour lounging by the pool at our apartment complex. The temperature was a toasty 84 degrees and the skies were sunny. I'd already jammed much into the day, and thought one hour for me catching up on a six-month-old November magazine by the pool would be just the thing. When I got there, I was the only one at the pool ... at least the only one lounging. There was an employee of the complex there as well. He wore a protective mask over his nose and mouth and carried a sharp scraping tool with him. Every so often I'd glance up from my magazine to see him digging our a weed or scraping at the concrete around the pool. For the longest time I wondered what he was scraping. Then after dipping in the pool, swimming to the stairs and getting out near him, I saw that he was scraping off dark, flattened wads of gum. Apparently people had carelessly spit out their gum around the pool and on the sidewalks leading to it, just feet from the many garbage cans conveniently available. I thought to myself, "Good heavens, how does a person get so lucky to have that job: gum scraper and weed digger." After my hour at the pool was up, I gathered my towel, bag and magazine to head back to the apartment, and looked around the pool. It was gorgeous! He had cleared off every bit of gum and pulled every weed from cracks between the pool's brick edging and the concrete patio. I wondered as I walked away if there was a smile on the man's face behind his mask as he looked over his handiwork. He had done a thorough, yet thankless job. I'm sure not one other resident will look at that pool today and notice it's gum-free, weedlessness and think to themselves: "I really need to thank that guy and tell him nice job!"

My Jesus has that job. He's the gum-scraping, weed digger of my life. When I go to Him for forgiveness, He wipes me clean, creates in me a new heart and puts a right spirit within me (Psalm 52:10). So the next time you see me looking so pretty (on the inside, that is; look closely, my actions will give me away), look to the One who took on the dirty job to cleanse me ... and don't forget to thank Him, because He's got a lot more scraping to go with me.

By The Sea, You And Me, Oh How Happy We'll Be...

Our family recently returned from a Spring Break vacation in Garden City Beach, SC, one of our favorite places. I went on ahead a couple days earlier than everyone else so I could have time to myself on the beach. I wanted to have a spiritual retreat with God. I decided I would spend two days, just God and me and the beach. I figured a little sunning, sand, seagulls and surf was just what I needed to refocus on my Lord, listen for His beautiful voice, worship Him fully and absorb His goodness.

Those two days I had alone at the beach were certainly not what I hoped for weatherwise. The skies were grey and stormy and the temperature chilly. It rained nearly the entire time, stopping twice for 30 minutes each to allow me the chance to walk along the shore. I believe it was God's way of saying, "Are you here to see me or the ocean, dear daughter?" I admit, I was there for both. This was God's way of making sure the focus was truly on Him.

I glorified the Lord in the silence of being alone and in the roar of the tempestuous ocean ... which by the way provides praise songs with excellent acoustics and background sound. I spent much time in study and prayer. It truly was a retreat with my Almighty God. It was Father/daughter time, with me crawling onto the lap of my Abba and cuddling in His precious arms, pouring out all I wanted to share with Him. He truly is an awesome, loving, amazing, patient Creator. God has billions of kids, so it was cool that we got to spend some quality one-on-one time together without the world to interfere. And I loved being with Him.

Later in the week, I was rewarded with beautiful, warm sunny days, gorgeous sunrises (one that even looked like the Star of David on Holy Week - how cool is that!?), a full moon rise on the horizon, dolphins swimming by, pelicans' dive bomb fishing, a gentle starfish in a tide pool and the cherished company of my family. We had a wonderful time.

You don't have to go to the beach to be alone with God. We have that opportunity every single day, whenever we want, to boldly approach the throne and delight in His company. I'm grateful He loves us that much to give us that access ... access that came at quite a cost in the cross of Christ. But I have to say, looking out over that vast, sometimes violent, often times glistening, always breathtaking sea ... it's pretty cool to be able to be alone with Him there.

Just As I Am

A gal from a welcoming committee in town came to see me today. She called at 15 minutes after the hour and told me she'd be to my apartment in 45 minutes to give me some community information and gift certificates. As soon as I hung up with her, I gasped as I took a quick look around the room and at myself. I was still in my pajamas and the living room was less than stellar. I could still smell onions in the air from dinner the night before. I hadn't vacuumed in several days. I needed to dust. The room needed tidying, counters needed wiped off, etc. So I quick, like a whirlwind, whipped through the apartment putting things in neat piles, dusting, picking specks off the floor, sweeping the kitchen and porch and spraying a room freshener all over. Then I quick got dressed and applied some make up. Ahhhh. Perfect. I even stood at the front door and looked around the room as if I was a guest, checking for anything that might be out of place. I found a couple more things, then found a couple more. Finally I was pleased with the finished product. My guest came. She sat on my couch, gave me much information to peruse, gave me a welcome hug and was on her way. I don't know that she noticed the fresh smell, tidy piles, clean counters or fluffed pillows. But I sure didn't want her to see the way we REALLY lived.

Similarly I went on a website today to play with some photos. On this website, you can change your photos to have soft focus, special effects, tinting, sharpening, brightening and even cover blemishes and whiten teeth. Using a photo of myself shot on my birthday, I brightened my teeth, took away blemishes, cropped it tighter and wa-la ... the finished product of retouched photography. In one photo I even gave myself lilac eyes just for fun! I sure didn't want anyone to see the picture of the REAL me another year older.

Picture perfect living room. Picture perfect photo. Both are a lie. Both are a lie because perfection, as we know, is just not possible. I used to joke with people not to get too used to my face as they see it because in Heaven there's no make up, and they won't recognize me when I get there.

Thankfully, you won't care. Jesus handles all that perfection and does it, well, ... perfectly. And he knows all my flaws and filth and loves me just the same. As the Charlotte Elliott hymn says, "Just as I am thou wilt receive, welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve." Jesus said he went to prepare a place for me, so I'm guessing He's cleaning and tidying, me in particular, to get ready for my arrival. And He says in John 6:37 anyone who comes to Him he will never drive away. Praise the Good Lord for that!

Does that mean I won't clean and put on makeup the next time you come to visit? Ha! Oh, no, I will perpetuate the earthly fantasy ... just please remember to give me enough time to get ready!

Public Affection

Yesterday I reached out to give my son a hug while we were shopping and stopped myself. Not because of the usual reason, which is when he quietly whispers, "Public," as a reminder to me that he doesn't want any motherly affection where someone might see (ah, teenage boys). I stopped instead because just as I was about to reach out and hug him I remembered that he had fallen that afternoon on a gravel road and had scraped up his back, left arm and hands to bloodied abrasions. I knew if I hugged him I would graze those tender areas and cause him pain, so I refrained. He noticed that I started to reach for him and pulled back. He said, "What, Mom?" I told him I'd almost hugged him, forgetting the wounds his T-shirt covered. He then reached out for me, putting both of his hands on my shoulders, and hugging me. "I love you, Mom," he said. "You've done a lot for us over the last few months since we moved. Thank you." I almost started to cry. Here was my son, who typically shuns public affection, hugging me in a department store where we were surrounded by people. I was moved beyond words and glowed the rest of the day just thinking about that brief moment.

As all things do when I'm dealing with my children, I reflected to my relationship with my Father in Heaven. I thought about the countless times He reaches out to me to hug me, sharing His beautiful world with me, His precious Son and His great mercy. And thinking to myself, how many times I have put my hands up and said to Him, "Public." Today was one of those days. I was walking through a subdivision, and while doing so was praying for a youth friend of mine who is sharing the word of God with a student in his high school who is a proclaimed atheist. I was lifting him in prayer, when I suddenly realized I was praying out loud. It was then I saw a man staring at me who was fertilizing in his yard. I instantly shut up until I rounded the corner. Not because I didn't want him to see my praying, but rather because I was worried he'd think I was a nutcase talking to myself. Basically, I was telling God, "Oops, hold on a second. Public." After I rounded the corner, I wished I'd have said, "Not crazy ... just talking to Jesus." What a discipleship opportunity I missed!

Needless to say, I'm going to spend a significant period of time today telling my Father how very much I love Him and praise Him for everything He's done for me not just in the last few months, but my whole life. I am blessed beyond words. And I'm going to start right now, here, in public ... Lord God, I LOVE YOU! You are so amazing. You are beautiful. You are awesome. Thank you, Lord. And Lord, even with all my wounds ... feel free to hug me, any time.

No flaw In You

Ouch... that's the feeling I've been getting every time the realtor selling our home in Wisconsin calls me with a criticism she's received about our home during an Open House. "This isn't updated." "This is ugly." "This looks old." Ouch, ouch, ouch. I read once that a home is an extention of a woman, almost like a child to her. Criticize a woman's child, and it's like taking a knife to the heart. So all these strangers coming into my house are cutting me to pieces. I loved that home. We did many things to it to make it beautiful and ours. And we have such precious memories of living there. So it's hard to hear someone else cut it down.

I was wondering if that's what God feels when we do the same to His creation ... namely to ourselves in the mirror or to others around us. "I'm too fat." "I'm too wrinkly." "I wish this or that was updated." I wonder if God is saying, "Ouch! That's my creation you're criticizing! I think it's beautiful! And I have such great memories of you looking just like that!"

One of my daughter's dearest friends, Cheyenne, is one of the most self-confident people I know. She looks in the mirror and says, "I'm so pretty." You might be thinking to yourself, "How arrogant," but she's not. Chey is a pretty girl, there's no doubt, even when she has her hair dyed pink, blue, green, red, purple or orange, as she frequently does. But to be in her teenage years and be able to look at herself in the mirror and be content, even pleased, with her appearance is a rare thing. I'll bet when God hears her, He says: "Thank you! I think so too!" Chey's got Song of Solomon 4:7 memorized and rightfully so. My daughter has it taped to her mirror. It's something we all can remember: "You are altogether beautiful, my love. There is no flaw in you." Even King David wrote in Psalm 139:14,"I praise you, for I am fearfuly and wonderfully made." That's another one for the mirror.

So rather than do any critiquing today ... I'm just going to take a look at God's creation around me, even that person in the mirror, and say, "Wow, that's really something right there! Gorgeous!" and praise my Father for it.

Now I just hope someone does the same for my house.

One Weapon

Mark my words, if you are doing great things to further God's Kingdom, Satan is going to attack. I don't say this to scare you, but to prepare you. Things may be going along just beautifully, people are coming to know Christ, you are blossoming and lives are being healed. That's right about the time Satan steps in. There is no way the Adversary wants you to succeed in growing God's Kingdom, and he will stop at nothing to see you lose faith, lose friends, fail and give up. He squeals with glee when you ask yourself, "Is this really worth it?" and I guarantee at some point you may very well ask that.

I know two people going through a time like this right now. I have gone through this a time or two myself. And what have I learned? If you are growing God's Kingdom, you are probably dressed in the full armor of God, as described in Ephesian 6:13-17. You understand the nature of salvation; you have faith; you're ready to proclaim the Good News to whoever asks; you know the Truth; you act for and in righteousness. All of that armor, as listed by Paul is defensive, preventative armor. He only lists one weapon ... the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Satan and his minions have no power against the True Word. Strike with this Sword and you are protected spiritually in ways you may have trouble comprehending. Peter tells us in his first book 5:8 that "like a roaring lion, your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour." Peter encourages us to resist him. And Paul says to arm ourselves and fight, for our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12) This means when everything looks bleak, when friends seem to be turning away, when fellow church goers say something hurtful or when one trial after another comes, your battle goes beyond the earthly realm.

If the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, then it we need to be in the Word ALL THE TIME. Morning and night, we need to bury our little faces deep into Scripture, reading, reciting, memorizing, chanting and singing the very Words of God. We need to learn to practically apply that Word to circumstances we're facing. You remember Jesus getting tempted in the wilderness? (Luke 4:1-12) Jesus used this Sword three times to attack the devil as he struck at areas he thought would be Christ's weaknesses.

Do you know a person that seems to have just the right Bible verse at just the right time? These are folks who have spent hours reading and putting to memory God's Word while the Holy Spirit brings those verses to mind when needed. Jesus tells us in John 14:26 the Holy Spirit will "remind you of all that I have said to you." But even if you don't know just the right verse, whatever you do know, say it. If you are dealing with something that seems beyond you, just start reciting every verse you know off the top of your head. It may be only one or two. But do it, saying them over and over again. The first time I did this, I realized I needed to memorize a few more verses because I wanted to say more than Gen. 1:1 and John 3:16!

I promise you, the Word of God will make you feel better. I promise you if you wield the Sword of the Spirit, you will feel the weight of the world lift. I've felt it countless times.

Carry a piece of paper with you that has a verse on it you'd like to memorize. Say it several times a day until it becomes a part of you. When Jesus tells us He will abide with us, He means it. The Word made flesh abides in our hearts. Keep that Sword at the ready. Hang in there. And may God bless you in battle, for we know the victory belongs to Jesus.