Wait For It!

By Janet Morris Grimes –

“God? Are You there?

I’ve been meaning to talk to You about a few things.

No offense, but I’ve kind of been wondering what You are up to. I kind of feel like Moses, standing at the Red Sea with no way to cross it. I keep pointing upward, hinting that something big is about to happen. The stage is set for You to do something miraculous, brilliant, and unforgettable.

But then, nothing happens. Or at least, nothing big. Nothing anyone would notice, if they were watching from a distance.

Maybe my timing is a bit off. Maybe I hurried so fast to the sea that I missed an important leg of the journey. Maybe I took a shortcut, or tried to rush things a bit.

Just know that it feels as if I jumped off a cliff; that same cliff You told me to jump off of, but I have yet to land. And if You don’t mind me saying this; it’s taking too long. If I just knew when or where I might land, I could start on my ‘to-do’ list. You know; to help You get everything settled when the time comes.

I try to be patient, but even that would be easier if I knew what You were up to. Waiting is something I do in between all the big events in life, right? I mean, transition should never become my destination. It’s just a small part of the journey. Right?

So, here I sit, waiting for something big to happen. In the meantime, to prevent boredom, I thought I might flip open my Bible and see what You had to say, in case You were watching. What could it hurt for You to catch me being overly obedient? Thought it might speed things up a little, and might remind You that I’m still waiting.

How about the book of Habakkuk? That ought to score me a few points. No one ever reads Habakkuk, do they?

Hmmm. Let’s see what old Habakkuk has to say about waiting….

Oh, wait. I think I’m beginning to understand. Maybe it takes a major transition in life to get me to be still and listen to Your instruction. Maybe You aren’t too worried about my ‘to-do’ lists. Maybe my desire to be in control interferes with Your desire to provide for me daily.

If that’s the case, You know where to find me. I’ll be here, beside the still waters. Learning. Growing. And waiting.”

BIBLE VERSE: “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5 NIV)

PRAYER: Dear God, Thank You for loving me enough to make me wait. Whatever it is that You are up to, I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

Too Busy to Open our Bibles?

By Janet Morris Grimes –

How old were you when you first realized that Christmas was about Jesus, and not Santa Claus?

As a child, it was difficult to focus on anything other than Santa, and how could I possibly understand the correlation between the two. As an adult, I still struggle at times to focus on Jesus. From the twinkling lights, the television commercials that tease of all things extravagant, my internal ‘to-do’ list that constantly reminds me of what is left to be done, I fail to remember why I am doing it to start with.

I add to my calendar an appointment to be at church on Christmas Eve for the annual candlelight service. And I go, probably because our family has made a tradition of it, and those few, precious moments together on the church pew remind me of years gone by, when they were babies, trying to keep their hair and fingers away from the dancing flames. I countdown the moments that we can be still, and together, side by side at the fireplace. I crave the excitement of Christmas morning, and surprises, and hugs from loved ones not seen often enough.

It could be that I’ve grown to worship our traditions, more than finding a way to marvel at the way the birth of Christ truly changed the world.

To be honest, I find it hard to worship at Christmas.

Satan probably loves that; the way he can manipulate something that is supposed to be about Christ into something that keeps us from Him. Are we too busy to open our Bibles to recall why we bring gifts to those we love? Are we victims of the PR Campaign of the latest gadget that everyone else is getting?

My goal for this Christmas is to focus on what matters, long after the season is over.

BIBLE VERSE: “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest” (Isaiah 32:18 NIV).

PRAYER: Dear God, show us where we belong here on earth. Establish places for us to dwell that are indeed peaceful and honor You at all times. And thank You for creating a place for us in eternity.

Portion Control

By Janet Morris Grimes –

Portion. I tend to think of it an individual serving. An allotment. The perfect amount. No more or no less than what I need.

Where food is concerned, especially during the holidays, my portions increase in size;  not because I need them, but rather, because the opportunity is there. There is much more to choose from, enticing trays of my favorites, beckoning me to pack on a few holiday pounds.

Clearly, it is in the best interest of my thighs to keep my food portions under control.

In the dictionary, ‘portion’ is defined in many different ways:

Portion – a part of a whole. A share.

Portion – an inheritance. The part of an estate that goes to the next of kin.

Portion – (as a verb) to divide out. This term is used often in worship songs and throughout the Bible. Each time, it takes on a different meaning.

Inheritance – “To you, I give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit” (Psalm 105:11 NIV)

Divide out – “She gets up while it is still night, and provides portions for her family” (Proverbs 31:15 NIV)

A piece – “This is your lot, the portion I have decreed for you…” (Jeremiah 13:25 NIV)

But it was in the oft overlooked book of Lamentations that I found my favorite use of this word.

“I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion, therefore I shall wait for him” (Lamentations 3:24).

Whatever I need on this day, God offers the perfect amount of it. He brings no more or no less than what I crave. He divides out my piece of Him in daily doses. He alone is my inheritance, and that is more than enough for me.

And in return, I am also His portion. A small piece of His whole, for I am nothing on my own. He tells me that I am more than enough for Him, and I find that quite comforting.

This much I know for sure, as I still sometimes struggle with portion control in everything from the size of my home to the amount of money in our account. He has gone to prepare a place for me. And it will be perfect in size, I am sure.

PRAYER: Dear God, Forgive me for the times that I yearn for more than what I need. Help me to rest in You. Your love and provision are more than enough for me and my family. I trust You and Your timing, for You have more than proven Your faithfulness to me. Therefore, I will wait for You.

 

 

 

The Mystical, Mythical Moon

By Janet Morris Grimes –

I have always been enchanted by the moon. Majestically traveling across the night sky, its light stops me in my tracks. Powerful enough to cause the tides in the ocean; gentle enough to appear to be winking at me, at times. Consistent enough to control all calendars, the moon is important to all cultures. And when I see it, I have no choice but to lift up a prayer of thanks. I find it comforting, a peephole into heaven.

It has a strange reputation, that moon. In a survey conducted in 1988, 13% of the respondents believed the moon was indeed made of cheese. There could never truly be a ‘man on the moon,’ as it has no water and cannot sustain life, but that hasn’t stopped us from spending billions to visit and investigate. Due to the lack of gravity, a person who weighs 180 pounds here on Earth, weighs only 30 pounds on the moon.

As it turns out, much of what we believe about the moon is actually a myth. Considered the second brightest object in the sky, other than the sun, the surface is actually quite dark. It’s basically a ball of dry rock, with a few craters along the surface. The temperature, when it faces the sun, is over 300 degrees. For the side that is away from the sun, the temperature is -300 degrees.

Still, I find it mesmerizing. I love that Earth only has one moon, as opposed to the 63 moons of Jupiter. A soldier can be in Afghanistan, looking at the moon, and know that his family back home sees the same one.

Perhaps what amazes me most is that the moon itself has no light to offer. It’s value comes from reflecting the sun. And, the more it faces the sun, the more light it has to offer.

The same is true for myself. My value comes from reflecting the Son. Alone, there is little that is good about me. But the more I face the Son, the more light I can reflect.

The mystical, mythical moon. I want to be just like it, when I grow up.

BIBLE VERSE: “…it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky” (Psalm 89:37 NIV).

Finding Where We Don’t Belong

By Janet Morris Grimes –

Have you ever played the game of Sudoku?

It’s a logic puzzle that asks you to place the numbers 1 – 9 in each column and box without repeating any number.  It’s challenging, intriguing and rewarding all at the same time.

The funny thing is that in order to find out where the numbers belong, you must first determine where they don’t.  Then, and only then, do you find the correct answers.

Sometimes I think God works with us like that as well.  We ask Him for guidance, but then it seems like we get a bunch of “no – that’s not it” answers.  But, my guess is that God understands that we are just human enough that it takes something like closing a few doors to nudge us out of our comfort zone; to force us to take a different step; to bring us out into the open, where the only choice we have is to depend on Him, and Him alone.

I can’t help but think that God is playing this game of Sudoku with us as He is creating our future. I jokingly told my boss the other day that I had given him a “two year notice,” because we believed we were getting transferred to another state (for my husband’s job with Ford) for the past two years.  For the first year, we thought we were headed to Louisville.  Then there were a few months of Chicago rumors, which even led us to take a trip up there to search for housing.  Then there was Kansas City, and now Dearborn, Michigan.

All of these locations have one thing in common.  They are far away from everyone and every thing we have known and loved for our entire lives.

So what does this mean for my family?

It means that as He is gently showing us where we don’t belong, He is also preparing us for whatever comes next.  And little by little, step by step, as one door after another is closing, God is slowly leading us out into the open, where we have no choice but to depend on Him, and Him alone.

And I’m okay with that.

I suspect that it will be challenging, intriguing and rewarding all at the same time.

PRAYER: Lord, we want nothing apart from Your plan for our lives.  Please reveal that to us clearly, and put obstacles in our path if that path is not from You.  Show us where we belong, even if it means You must first show us where we do not.  We lay our future in your hands. Please give us the strength, and trust, to leave it there.

BIBLE VERSE: “Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths” (Psalms 25:4 NIV).

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