Sunday, October 26, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Finding a church is no easy task. I've read through about a dozen web sites and my mind is spinning! Every site insists their church has what I need, what my heart is longing for, what my family requires in order to develop a strong faith. My mind has been a BLUR of denominations, of worship styles (?!?), of cool splashy web sites, of ministry options, of sermon topics and on and on-- SO much information! I was very discouraged after visiting two churches last week (see below for comments), but this past Sunday I left the apartment with list and directions in hand. I intended to visit one church but couldn't find it, so I ended up at another (amusingly, earlier that morning when Jordan asked me where I was planning to worship I told him I was looking for a cosmic sign to show me where I should go. God is funny!).
Now, I confess I was feeling a bit cynical as I remembered the lack of warmth from the week before. I arrived at the high school where the church meets and there were a few other cars already there. One family was heading toward the door when one of their little boys came toward me and said, "Are you new?" I laughed a little and said ,"Yes, how did you know?" And he said, "That's easy-- I don't know your face!" It was that simple. Then Matthew yelled, "Hey Mom, she's new!!" Mom laughed and apologized and looked uncomfortable, but all I could think was, "This kid knows the love of Jesus!" He saw someone by herself, someone he didn't know, he asked a simple question and it made all the difference.
Now, I confess I was feeling a bit cynical as I remembered the lack of warmth from the week before. I arrived at the high school where the church meets and there were a few other cars already there. One family was heading toward the door when one of their little boys came toward me and said, "Are you new?" I laughed a little and said ,"Yes, how did you know?" And he said, "That's easy-- I don't know your face!" It was that simple. Then Matthew yelled, "Hey Mom, she's new!!" Mom laughed and apologized and looked uncomfortable, but all I could think was, "This kid knows the love of Jesus!" He saw someone by herself, someone he didn't know, he asked a simple question and it made all the difference.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Glory
Of all the apartments available in Arizona, in Goodyear, in Verrado, God gave me one with a porch that faces west. Arizona is famous for it's beautiful pink sunsets, so I was happy with the porch from the first minute I saw it!
At first I simply enjoyed the view, but last evening the view became a word from God. See, yesterday was the first cloudy day I've experienced since arriving here and it was a bit of a novelty (this morning in an email, my sister said, "Let me guess-- clear, sunny and warm?"). But as I passed by the porch door last evening, I glanced out at the sky and God spoke. It had to do with the clouds, the added dimension they allow and the metaphor right in front of me.
The sunsets are pretty on clear evenings, but last evening's clouds allowed the colors to bounce around and create shades and shapes of amazing beauty. As I sat there, the show continued on with the colors becoming deeper and richer. Of course I was thinking about the fact that I am SO far from all that's familiar, from all the ones I love, and how hard this week has been. That's when God whispered Psalm 19:1-- "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclain the work of his hands." As my heart heard those words, I found hope.
I saw the metaphor clearly in front of me last evening and it goes like this: an Arizona sunset on a clear evening is a beautiful thing full of color and creativity. An Arizona sunset on a cloudy evening is just breathtaking, and it's the clouds that make the difference! Life on a good (clear) day is a beautiful thing, full of blessing and joy. Life during a rough patch (cloudiness) can be breathtaking because of the things that God teaches, provides and reveals through the cloudiness. Just as last evening's sunset was the work of His hands, my life is also the work of His hands. He's fully aware of the ache in my heart and can use the pain to declare His glory-- if I'm cooperative.
I haven't been very good about sitting and soaking in God's lesson these last few weeks-- mostly I've just wanted the pain to go away. But last evening's sunset reminded me to sit back and look around at what God is doing and to be thankful for all the shades and shapes-- they are the work of His hand and will produce a thing of true beauty if I let them. The heavens declare God's glory and I want to do the same.
Strange as it seems to me, when I got up this morning I smiled to see it was another cloudy day!
At first I simply enjoyed the view, but last evening the view became a word from God. See, yesterday was the first cloudy day I've experienced since arriving here and it was a bit of a novelty (this morning in an email, my sister said, "Let me guess-- clear, sunny and warm?"). But as I passed by the porch door last evening, I glanced out at the sky and God spoke. It had to do with the clouds, the added dimension they allow and the metaphor right in front of me.
The sunsets are pretty on clear evenings, but last evening's clouds allowed the colors to bounce around and create shades and shapes of amazing beauty. As I sat there, the show continued on with the colors becoming deeper and richer. Of course I was thinking about the fact that I am SO far from all that's familiar, from all the ones I love, and how hard this week has been. That's when God whispered Psalm 19:1-- "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclain the work of his hands." As my heart heard those words, I found hope.
I saw the metaphor clearly in front of me last evening and it goes like this: an Arizona sunset on a clear evening is a beautiful thing full of color and creativity. An Arizona sunset on a cloudy evening is just breathtaking, and it's the clouds that make the difference! Life on a good (clear) day is a beautiful thing, full of blessing and joy. Life during a rough patch (cloudiness) can be breathtaking because of the things that God teaches, provides and reveals through the cloudiness. Just as last evening's sunset was the work of His hands, my life is also the work of His hands. He's fully aware of the ache in my heart and can use the pain to declare His glory-- if I'm cooperative.
I haven't been very good about sitting and soaking in God's lesson these last few weeks-- mostly I've just wanted the pain to go away. But last evening's sunset reminded me to sit back and look around at what God is doing and to be thankful for all the shades and shapes-- they are the work of His hand and will produce a thing of true beauty if I let them. The heavens declare God's glory and I want to do the same.
Strange as it seems to me, when I got up this morning I smiled to see it was another cloudy day!
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