I Hear You Singing

Cheer up!

Wake up, sleepies...

Don't you know what time it is?

New life.

New day.

New year.

Time for a new nest and new chicks.

I'm here... I'm back to sing to you each morn.

Watch me build my nest

sing my song

raise my young

all to the glory of God!

Forty Years

Oh don't you know

it's a long way to Humility.

Daily walking

sometimes crawling--sprawling

scrambling

like a man without legs

rolling along on a makeshift plywood board

with wobbly wheels

pulling along with calloused hands

still thinking it's my own power that moves me.

Oh don't you know

it's a long way to Humility.

What should have been a few short months

has now stretched out into forty years

plus eight

wandering in self

wondering about self

Crash the mirror to the ground

and set me free

freedom from self.

Only by your blood.

Psalm 84 Observation

This psalm accurately describes our yearning to be somewhere else! Not just anywhere, but the best place, the safest place, the loveliest place you could be... in the presence of the Lord, God. In having read it through several times and really pondering the writer's message which he is trying to convey, verses 3 and 4 catch my heart and hold it for a moment.

They read, "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near Your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God. (Vs. 4) Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You." (NIV)

This reminds me of the robin that was just at our house the other day. She sat on top of the gazebo and eyeballed my porch light. I thought she looked familiar. It was the mama that built her nest on top of the porch light, and reared four little birds last spring. "Mi casa es su casa!"

She was bold and diligent to make her home in a very busy place on our deck as the back door swung open and shut about a billion times. Just about as many times as she brought sticks, grass and weeds to weave their home in our presence.

The key here is "boldly." She didn't ask if she could build her nest atop my porch light. She just assumed it was her "God given right" find a home and make a nest for herself... a place near Your altar.

Oh, Lord, You invite us to do the same. "Su casa es mi casa!" You invite us to come into Your very presence and set up shop. To make our home there... a home You have already prepared for us. For You have already made Your home in our heart if we have received Your gift of eternal life and blessings as we ever praise you for Your awesomeness. Thank You!

As the robin shows up in the spring and something in her knows what she yearns to do, our deep cries out to deep to dwell in Your lovely courts. Our heart and flesh cry out, our souls yearn and even faint for the living God. I have found my home. I am home.

Welling Up...

Welling up...

This morning I was reading about Rebekah in the Bible and her encounter with the servant of Abraham at the well. There was a Scripture in there that caught my eye: Verse 21 of Genesis 24 reads, “Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.” In verse 26, the man welled up with praise and worshiped the Lord saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.” God had given blessings all around at the well as a wife had been found for Isaac--and she was not a Cannanite; the servant was successful on his journey that his master sent him on, and Abraham could die happy knowing that his son was being cared for. I am welling up with praise just thinking about the round of blessings!

I wonder how closely we are watching to see whether the Lord has made our journey successful. If we are in Christ Jesus, and He in us, do we keep a close eye on Him? Do we give Him the glory for our lives? Or rather do we blame Him for the dry patches and forget Him in the times of refreshing--not watching Him at all; but only having eyes for ourselves?

The older I get, the more I am seeing Him in all His sovereignty and control. This is not permission to quit trying, I still have to get up and go to the well. But as I linger, and watch closer still, I can see His hand and touch on everything around me. He knows why I am where I am, He knows who is there around me, and He knows the outcome; that He has already overcome and that I will too if I don’t shirk back. Focusing on His strengths and not my weaknesses, I will be able to watch Him better--to see what He is doing.

There is another story of a woman at a well in John 4. This woman was very focused on her surroundings even drawing her water from the well in the heat of the day; perhaps to avoid the haughty eyes of the other women who came in early morning or early evening to get their jars full. These women were certainly watching closely, but not for the Lord and His goodness. Not for this woman’s successful journey, but rather to see her failures. We like to somehow see people fail, don’t we? Better them than me! She was not married, not a virgin and we all know how the rumor mill rolls. But just like Rebekah, God had a divine appointment with this woman that day.

Funny how we thirst so badly for fresh water. It’s the only thing that really quenches, really refreshes, really sustains us. Soda, beer, wine... these things cannot bring lasting satisfaction like cool, fresh water! It’s almost like truth in the way that is washes over us and makes us feel clean, brand new. It’s transparent, it’s necessary and it’s always good for us! I like to come clean and I appreciate it when others come clean as well. Gives us all a new start from the inside out. Yep, there’s nothing like a tall, wave of fresh, clean water to revive us.

So, there sits Jesus at the well. There He is when she shows up. A Jew. All high and mighty and unapproachable. Untouchable. Unspeakable. Uncontainable. Unfathomable. And His wisdom, fullness of grace and love spills over her like the water from the well to wash away her past and bring her back to everlasting life! He speaks to her like she matters. Like He cares. A Samaritan... a whore, a sinner and a woman to boot.

God is practical like that, isn’t He? The Bible is chock full of “hands on”, tactile lessons. Like: “Go ahead Thomas, touch my side!’ “Let down those nets, boys and see what happens!” “Collect up those twelve baskets leftovers from five loaves and two fishes!” “Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it!” “Bring all you got, lay it down at my feet and watch me be “I AM”. “I chose you first. I loved you first... I love you still. I see you. I know you. I made you. I provide for you. I am your God, you are mine. I have called you by name. I have loved you with an everlasting love. I will never leave you or abandon you.”

Doe He have your attention yet? Are you watching closely to see whether He has made your journey successful? Perhaps you are like the woman at the well. You have made a real mess of your life. Or maybe those around you have made a real mess of your life. Maybe your heart is hard and your hope is gone. Now, it’s just an uphill climb to keep it all level each day as you make your way to the well for a daily provision of just the necessities. Is that too much to ask, Lord? We can’t make the bills, there’s no food left in the fridge, the old man left, the baby is sick again and I have to go get some milk. Guess who’s got His eye on you? Guess who’s waiting at the well? Don’t give up--look up. Who is waiting for you? Who is watching you? Who are you watching for?

I'm not sure exactly what day it was late last summer

when she appeared in the front yard

just off the south deck.

So big all over, so spindly with her legs

taller than my head...

she proceeded to strip my tree's branches

from the inner trunk out-- in one fell swoop.

I madly grabbed the camera and crawled to the nearest window.

Snapping wildly, she never even noticed

so I snuck out on the deck to get a better view.

Remembering all the stupid tourist in

Yellowstone National Park over the years

getting gored by buffalo

I laughed at my foolish self

as I followed her around the house

using the back door now as a shield.

She peered up at me, continuing to prune our aspen trees

listening to me chew her out!

Then she proceeded around the house for another lap

and made her way up on the deck.

Tall, dark sienna brown, covered with flies

and content to own my porch

I used another door to sneak up behind her for a closer look.

Finally, she tired of the chase and meandered down the deck steps

trotting off toward the road

as I clapped my hands and stomped my feet to

discouraged further damage to the foliage.