May I Have This Dance?

By Susan Dollyhigh –

Eric reached for my hand and led me to the dance floor for the mother-son dance. Oblivious to the many guests following our every step, we danced to I Hope You Dance. During those three to four bittersweet minutes, with smiles on our faces and tears running down our cheeks, we shared our love.

“Thank you for all you’ve done for me, Mom,” Eric said. “I love you so much.” Looking up into his man-face, I couldn’t help but flash back to his little-boy-face.

“I love you so much, Eric, and I’m so proud of you,” I whispered. “You are a wonderful son, and I know you are going to make a wonderful husband, and someday an incredible father.” Pausing to regain my composure, I said, “I hope you and Amy have the best marriage ever.”

The song, and another stage of life, ended and Eric led me back to my seat. Returning to our hotel room after the reception, I slipped out of my long, lavender dress, and reflected on the beautiful wedding, the elegant country-club reception, and a dance that I cherish in my heart.

Seven-year-old David was already dancing when I reached out and took his hand. His eyes opened wide and he paused for just a second, then a big smile broke out on his face. And we danced to You Ain’t Nothing but a Hound Dog blaring from an old boom box.

“Wow, you’re a great dancer,” I said.

“Thanks, I’ve been practicin’,” David said.

The song ended, and I said goodbye. The gravel crunched under my car’s tires as I pulled away from the homeless shelter. Returning home, I took off my jeans and t-shirt, and reflected on the simple white-frame-cottage, a beautiful Bible study with a motley crew of men, women, and children, and another dance that I cherish in my heart.

Country club or homeless shelter, DJ or boom box, lavender gown or blue jeans, I never know the circumstances the Lord might use to shower me with an incredible blessing.

Prayer: Father, thank You for your awesome love and never-ending blessings. Amen.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly
realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3 NIV).

ZONK! KAPOW! SPLOOSH!

By Elaine James –

Holy heart failure, Batman! I blurted out just like Robin would blurt out his one-sentence opinion of the situation after hopping out of Batman’s Batmobile. I am pretty sure a fiery dart with the label reading “rejection” just pierced my heart. I was overcome with tears of sadness. I haven’t had this response in quite a while. I ran into my office to hide and pull the dart out. “God we need to sort this out. I just prayed this morning that no weapon formed against me would prosper. I declared that I was fully armored and ready for today. I’ve been hit! What is going on here?” More crying. No response. More prayer. “God give me the lowdown here.”

What occurred was a whirlwind attack right at the frontlines of my house. I can assure you that God and I took care of it immediately. That is the point! It doesn’t matter how frequent I am taken by surprise. For me what really matters is following the leading of the Holy Spirit. I calmed down. I was thankful. I felt compelled to continue my day as planned. I know now that God meant for me to stand firm. Without telling the whole story I just wanted to share the outcome. Everything went as planned and the day ended well.

At some point I wanted to tell the person who rejected me “you hurt me.” I thought if I said that maybe they would think next time and we wouldn’t have a repeat of the situation. I decided to pray about that too! I heard in my head “be quiet for now.” Later that day I was with the person and others. The subject of what went on earlier came up. With a light heart and humor (being indirect) I told the person that I was worried and hurt about the situation. “Why?” they asked. I explained and they accepted my explanation and we moved on to another conversation.

At the end of the day back at the Batcave. Batman would recap “There may be troublemakers, Robin, but they’re still human beings. … Our job is finished.”

For now, I am in my Batcave and I am finished too…THE END. Thank God!

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV).
PRAYER: Lord I need You. I can’t live without You. Holy Spirit guide me with Your wisdom. Thank you for your guidance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Time and Place to Linger

By DiAne Gates –

Christmas 2012 is over. The decorations cleaned and stored for next year, and the residue of the season swept into the vacuum, the trash or the washing machine. Tablecloths, dishtowels, and napkins, however need a deeper cleansing. A time and place for them to linger, in a sink filled with hot water and Oxi-Clean to remove the stains inflicted by holiday festivities

If you’re like me, you’ve incurred a few stains during the holidays too. The stain and depression of remembering those not with you at the table or around the tree. The stain of disappointments and failures. Unfulfilled expectations. Relationships gone awry. The stain of guilt and fear of what has been and what’s yet to come.

So what’s next? Do we rush into the New Year, counting the days ‘til Easter, worrying over the state of our nation, our family, our world? Thinking of Resurrection Sunday and spring, attempting to sweep the stains under the carpet of life and just keep on keeping on?

The sun peeked through my window this morning and I found my mind skipping along the precipice of depression. A deep sadness burrowed deep in my soul. ‘Til I heard the Spirit whispering words I have typed throughout the holidays. Born to Die.

Yes, we’ve celebrated the miracle of the virgin birth of God’s Lamb. But that baby, that Lamb was born to die. And the Spirit whispered again—linger here.

Linger at the Cross. Don’t rush to the empty tomb—linger at the foot of the Calvary.

But I don’t like to linger anywhere, much less at the Cross. It’s a hard place. It’s ugly. And it’s uncomfortable. I see so much suffering every day. I’ve grown tired and desensitized to blood and suffering. I am war weary—at home and across the world.

The Spirit said, “all the more reason you must learn to linger at the Cross and contemplate the Lamb, born to die so that you might live in His joy, His peace and His love.”

That old hymn played through the corridors of my mind. “There’s power, power, wonder working power. In the blood of the Lamb.” Then another melody stirred. “There is a fountain, filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins. And sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains…”

I thought about those linens soaking in the sink. In the power of Oxi-Clean. All their stains disappearing. A rapid cycle through the washing machine didn’t remove the smudges—they needed soaking. They needed to linger in the power of a stain remover.

The Spirit took my face and turned my eyes to the miraculous power of the blood of Jesus. The power that His blood has to remove all the stains sin has ground into the pages of my life. I needed to linger and soak in that fountain of my Lord’s powerful blood this morning. Every morning and remember the Cross.

Our journey through life on earth is messy. The filth of rebellious choices, a prideful heart, and selfish actions and what-ifs that had clung to my blemished soul and seeped to the surface needed a good soaking—a daily soaking in the deluge that still flows from the Cross.

Stop awhile and ponder the Cross and the love of a Savior—born to die—for you and me. Linger there. Allow the depression and weariness to vaporize in the power of the blood of the Lamb—our Savior, our Lord and soon coming King.

Behold the Lamb!

“And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came, and He took (the book) out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne…and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb…and they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy art Thou to take the book and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Revelation 5:10 NAS).

Questioning My Generosity

By Mollie Bond –

I’ve got a new five-year journal; it is a resolution of sorts. The journal isn’t a bit of space to write random thoughts. Rather, each page poses a question for each day of the year.

When you finish the first year, you start over, answering each question again, until all five years have been completed. Your answers to questions like, “What did you last eat?” and “What is your motivation?” or even more challenging: “When was the last time you were generous?” will reveal developments in your life and character.

As a follower of Jesus, I should give everything. But when was the last time I had given anything? Do time and effort count? I work hard for my boss. Does that count?

The question of generosity reminded me of the last time I did something unexpected. A lady in front of me at the grocery store didn’t have enough food stamps to cover the expense of baby formula. I added her formula to my bill, and wished her a good day. I wanted to take time to share the entire gospel. However, God held me back. Generosity is simple, random, and perhaps the loudest evangelist of all. In the end, I’m answering a question in a journal, and I realized that was the last time I was spontaneous in my generosity.

Jesus had moments when He had to keep moving, but He stopped to give compassion as in Matthew 15. The woman wouldn’t let up. Motherly instincts for her sick daughter prompted her persistence. As a Gentile, she might not have been at the top of the list of people Jesus needed to see that day. She followed Jesus to get what she wanted, knowing Jesus was on a mission. When He said his priorities laid elsewhere, the woman asked for a moment of compassion. Would He pick up the tab? Would He stop in his busy day to heal her daughter, even though she wasn’t on the list? He agreed. In a moment, Jesus made an exception in the spirit of compassion and generosity.

You may not have a journal to remind you to be spontaneous and generous, but Jesus gives us a spirit of compassion. Use it.

PRAYER: I may not be good at this generosity thing, but I know you will help me. Will you show me more how to keep my eyes open for moments of giving? I’m looking for the next opportunity.

“Then Jesus answered, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour” (Matthew 15:28 NIV).

Joy-Math

By Rhonda Rhea –

I read somewhere that the reason shopping malls have benches is so that men can have somewhere to sit while they give up the will to live. I wonder how often guys have said the words, “I will give you five hundred bucks right here on the spot if you’ll just pick a pair of shoes right now. Any pair.”

Of course, any man who says that doesn’t understand that as the words are coming out of his mouth, the savvy woman shopper is already calculating how many more pairs of shoes that will buy. The poor guy doesn’t understand that he’s actually buying himself at least four more shoe-shopping trips. Most guys just don’t get shoe math.

We all have places in life we don’t particularly like to go. There are things that happen we’d simply rather not experience. That comes along with living in a world that groans under the curse of sin. But it makes all the difference in the world when we remember that He will be our joy along the way. No matter where we are in life, no matter what the challenge or heartache, there is always a reason to praise our God. He puts the song of praise right into our mouths. David said in Psalm 40:1-3, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.” (NIV)

For the record, “slimy pit” might equal “mall” in guy math. But whatever the pit, David waited patiently. That leads me to ask myself regularly: Am I? Are you? Are we waiting patiently for what the Lord wants to do through our difficulties? Even at the mall? Or more seriously, even in the midst of piercing pain or deep sorrow?

Want a better math formula? Patience equals trust. Trust means we keep right on following, leaning all the more on Him. “My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You,” (Psalm 63:8, AMP).

There’s victory in the following. There’s comfort in the leaning. There’s joy in the clinging. Psalm 30:5 reminds us, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning,” (ESV).

Everything He’s doing on the inside of us keeps us joyfully going, praising as we go—never giving up. “Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory,” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17, HCSB).

The joy of the Lord is greater than any trial. Times infinity. Now there’s some good math. We do well when we embrace the truth that we can lean into Him, that He will be our joy and that our glorious future is sure.

Incidentally, I think the guys would do well to just go sit on the bench. And instead of giving up the will to live, maybe form a support group with all the other guys sitting on benches.

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