In The Shade of the Family Tree

By Cindy Martin –

Like many of you, my summer vacation included attending a family reunion. In fact, this seemed to be the year for reunions so I attended a few. Amidst the individuality of each of them, two recurring themes emerged – family legacy and the value of belonging.

I am always amazed that even though we as family members may not have seen each other for months or even years, there is a bond of love and acceptance that exists just because we’re part of that particular family. We’re members. We go to the reunion because we belong there. We belong, not because of anything we have done or will do, but by virtue of our last name (or our mother’s maiden name). There is something very anchoring about belonging. It creates a sense of security and stability as well as helps to clarify our identity.

Notable at each of the reunions was that fact that there were folks that had been unofficially “adopted” into each of the families. Their name may not occupy a branch on the family tree yet they belonged – not by virtue of their last name but by the place they had found in the family’s collective heart.

This is such a poignant example to me of our place in God’s family as believers. We belong because God calls us His (we have His last name as it were) and we have a place in His heart.
My husband and I are blessed to be part of families where unconditional love, acceptance and a desire to have fun together are part of our heritage. Without question, that legacy has been handed down by those who not only loved us, but loved God as well. Historically, we have not only shared the same last name but also the same faith. As the family continues to grow, I feel challenged to steward our spiritual legacy well. I am mindful that our faith is the foundation on which our expressions of love and connection are built. Without it, there is little of lasting value to pass along to the current and future “buds” on the family tree.

“Let me rejoice in the joy of your people; let me praise you with those who are your heritage” (Psalm 106:5 NLT).

“Lord, thank You that You created families and a sense of belonging as a reflection of Your heart for us as Your people. May all who come behind us find us faithful.”

Harvest Bounty

By Cindy Martin –

I’m writing this on the heels of canning some of the bountiful harvest available in our area. A soothing touch settles on my soul when I see jars of fruit, jams, jellies and other tasty delights lined up on my countertop and in my canning pantry. Besides the sense of accomplishment, it also brings feelings of satisfaction and a sense of being prepared for the long winter ahead. This year’s crops were especially abundant and as I reflected on the reason, I realized that it was because of all the rain. All the moisture (which seemed to arrive daily) sprinkled with periodic doses of sunshine, produced near perfect growing conditions for plants and weeds alike. Some of the places where I picked berries were knotted with weeds and thistles as high as the berry bushes, yet there was luscious fruit tucked under their vibrant green leaves. I was regularly surprised at where I’d find flourishing fruit.

It made me think of the life-giving power of God’s word. As the truth of His word saturates our souls, we are able to produce spiritual bounty in spite of the weeds in us and around us. Many times there are circumstances in our lives – some of our own making and some not – that would seem to choke out any attempts we may make at living a God honoring life. Yet letting the principles of God’s word transform our attitudes, actions and responses to the “weeds” of our life can and will produce the sustaining fruit of the Spirit -fruit that is real and meaningful, not fake and contrived.

While sunshine is definitely needed in the growth process, I was struck by the fact that it was heavy amounts of rain that brought the increase. Similarly, regular and sometimes intense doses of God’s word is what’s needed to keep us on track and develop the character that brings the spiritual increase we’re looking for.

“He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit” (John 15:5 NKJV).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as rain brings life-giving moisture to the ground, may Your Spirit irrigate my soul with Your word.

Rethinking Routine

By Cindy Martin –

Just like the end of the school year brings relief from our often overcrowded schedules, back to school can be a welcome friend, ushering us back into regular routines.

I relished the thought of summer break as all the year-end wind-ups had gotten me a little wound up! I had visions of all the rest I would enjoy as well as all the things I would get accomplished. In my head it made so much sense… but as the summer has played out, I’ve discovered that routine is both my friend and my foe.

Structure is great but so is flexibility. Good habits are foundational but emotional freedom is equally essential. As with most things, any strength carried to an extreme becomes a weakness. It can be an intense struggle to not let the form get in the way of the function. This has been especially true in my quiet time with God. Routine provides the time, structure and habit that serve me well in the spiritual disciplines I believe God has called me to. Yet, as it’s been interrupted, I’ve seen routine become my foe. I’ve experienced what it’s like to value my routine over my relationship with God. At times, it’s caused me to become disgruntled, cranky and sometimes just plain spiritually rebellious. Not exactly the spiritual oasis I had anticipated.

As the inner turmoil in my spirit flashes and flares from time to time, God has lovingly but firmly spoken the truth of His word into me:

“These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote” (Isaiah 29:13 NLT).

“For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NLT).

On my spiritual journey this summer I have encountered what we have often encountered on our family vacations – road construction! I have detoured through self-sufficiency, taken the wrong exit of excuses and argued with my Navigator about the best route to take. Yet, when I have stopped to let my Savior recalculate the direction of my spirit, I have experienced what my head knows but my heart forgot – an intimate relationship with Him stems from the flawlessness of His character, not mine.

Prayer: “Lord, remind me often that all my righteousness is as filthy rags. Create a thirst in my spirit that longs for You more than it longs to fulfill a routine.”

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV).

Luck Has Nothing To Do With It

By Cindy Martin –

Luck has nothing to do with it. That was the theme of my son’s recent high school graduation class. I hadn’t heard the theme until the evening of the cap and gown ceremony and nothing could have been truer about that night. Unbeknownst to everyone except myself and a select few at the school, our son had been working on some big plans for that night. He’d spent months preparing to do something his teachers and his classmates had never seen him do before – walk independently across the stage to receive his certificate. To most this may not be that lofty of a goal, but to our son, Randy, who has cerebral palsy, this would be significant! His over 200 able-bodied classmates had only seen him in his wheelchair or occasionally with his walker or canes.

That night Randy’s aide helped him negotiate the stairs onto the stage and then right on cue Randy began to take one wobbly step after another. My heart was pounding with pride and nervous excitement in anticipation of the realization of Randy’s dream. Then the unexpected happened. His entire graduating class spontaneously erupted to their feet and began clapping and cheering, chanting “Ran-dy, Ran-dy, Ran-dy” with each unsteady but determined step.

His unsuspecting and clearly overwhelmed principal temporarily abandoned the formality of the evening as she stepped away from her appointed position on stage to receive Randy with open arms and wet eyes. Drawn into the moment, the crowd rose to its feet, applauding and wiping away tears.

As I sat down in my seat, my heart was brimming with gratitude. Earlier that day I had been repeatedly asking God to not let Randy fall but to let him experience success for all his hard work. I had called other godly women and asked them to pray as well. As the ceremonies continued, Ephesians 3:20 flooded my mind. God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (NIV). We had just experienced a taste of the lavish extravagance of God’s goodness and grace and it was way beyond our wildest dreams. Only God could orchestrate something so powerful. The precious memories of that night will linger long in our hearts and minds and as the 2013 graduating class theme reminds us, luck had nothing to do with it!

Prayer: Thank You Lord that You do not limit Your answers to the size of our requests.

Verse: “Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does” (Psalm 96:3 NLT).

Vacation Declaration

By Cindy Martin –

On a recent family vacation, during a time of casual conversation, our 13 year old daughter made the following spontaneous declaration, “I tried holding a grudge once, but it was too much work.” The manner in which she expressed herself caused us all to chuckle enthusiastically. Revealing her deep desire for meaningful relationships, she followed up by saying, “I just wanted to talk with my friend”.
While her little pronouncement has brought me much amusement, it has also challenged me to reflect on the high cost of unforgiveness. Hebrews 12:15 reads, “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many” (NLT). We learn in this verse that by withholding forgiveness, we are depriving others and ourselves of God’s grace. It also reminds us that the choice not to forgive results in many unexpected and destructive happenings in our life. While forgiveness leads to peace, unforgiveness leads to misery and our misery poisons those around us. Many of us have experienced the harsh stinging words or attitude of someone else’s misery. Perhaps, we’ve been the ones extending misery instead of grace.

Forgiveness is not forgetting, denying, approving of or excusing another person’s actions. Rather it is an active choice to be a conduit of God’s grace. Refusing to forgive is choosing to stay tied to someone in a link that is sometimes stronger than steel. God’s work of grace in our hearts to extend forgiveness is the only pathway to release. When we choose to forgive, we are untying ourselves, freeing ourselves from an often suffocating weight in our lives.

Matthew 6:15 explains another way we feel the weight of unforgiveness in our lives, “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (NLT). Whether it’s the weight of being tied to another person (or persons) or the heaviness of our own unforgiven sin, my daughter was right, “it is too much work.” The load is overwhelming and the loss of intimacy in our relationship with our heavenly Father stifles His work in and through us. God never intended it to be this way. He modelled ultimate mercy and pardon so that we could enjoy the life giving lightness and freedom that forgiveness brings.

Prayer: Lord, please show me if there is any unforgiveness in my life that is weighing me down. If there is, I ask You to do a work of grace in my heart. Help me to choose to follow Your example of mercy and forgiveness.

Verse: “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT).

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