Lessons from a Musty Motel

Rosemary Flaaten –

As we approached the motel where I would be spending the weekend, I knew my lodging was going to be substandard. I braced myself for what I would find when I entered my room. As I walked into that dank and wreaking room, my heart sank. The scratched furniture, the stained carpet and the quilted bedspread shouted from the 70’s. Hoping to find that at least the bathroom had been updated, I flipped on the switch only to discover a sink sporting an age-old chip turned rusty, a toilet wobbling on uneven tiles and black mold thriving on the tiles surrounding the tub. These premises screamed neglect.

My disappointment fuelled frustration, which quickly gave way to anger. Didn’t these people know who I was? I had travelled thousands of miles, was spending the weekend away from my family, had put countless hours preparing for this conference and this is all they had to offer. I was entitled to better.

And then a thought pierced my egocentric prerogative. I wonder how Jesus felt leaving the splendours of heaven and coming to live in rustic Judea? Streets paved with gold to dusty trails. Mansions full of gems to sheds full of cattle.  Choirs of angels to clash of swords. The King of Kings, Creator of the Universe, a perfectly relating member of the Trinity entered our dank and wreaking world as a baby. The Christmas carol rang through my consciousness reminding me that He didn’t even have a crib for a bed. He came from everything to nothing.

Slowly the scales came off my eyes. My dirty carpet, mouldy tub and lumpy bed took on new meaning.  Maybe God was calling me not just to speak the words of His Son but to live a life that reflected His Son and to have the attitude of His Son. I saw with a much deeper meaning these words penned about Jesus: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8 NIV).

That weekend, spent in substandard accommodations, proved invaluable. God had sent me to that place to speak a message to those people but He had also had a specific message for this messenger. If Jesus could leave the splendours of heaven for 33 years and come to earth so that each of us could have an intimate and saving relationship with God, then how small of a sacrifice is it for me to spend two days in such conditions so that people can hear His message of hope. Entitlement gave way to gratitude. Haughtiness gave way to humility. Pettiness gave way to passion.

This Christmas, every chance I get I am going to sing Away in a Manger with gusto and gratitude for the One who came to the substandard accommodations my world had to offer so that I could have hope.

PRAYER: As we celebrate Your birth, may our hearts be widened to appreciate the true significance of the Gift You brought to us.

“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matthew 10:24 NIV).

Today’s Devotional is by Rosemary Flaaten. Her successful book, A Woman and Her Relationships helps women process their outside-of-work relationships, so now she’s delving into these 9-5 relationships in A Woman and Her Workplace. Her Relationships book won The Word Guild Award, which is Canada’s top Christian literary honor. A dynamic speaker—Rosemary challenges women of all professions to view their work as a calling and their workplaces as opportunities to live out Christ’s love. Rosemary lives with her husband and three children in Calgary, Canada.

The Fear of Change

By Rosemary Flaaten –

Imagine a crazy man running around your neighborhood naked, screaming obscenities and breaking free of all attempts to restrain and confine him. Initially this would seem horrific but over time his lunacy might became a normal part of your community fabric.

One day Jesus, who has become known for healing even the worst malady, came into a town and was met by their village lunatic. Rather than brushing him aside, Jesus stopped and confronted him. He didn’t ridicule but He did confront the source of this man’s problem. In doing so, the evil spirits that had strangled this man’s humanity were thrust into a herd of pigs who promptly threw themselves into the sea. It is no surprise that the town was abuzz. As the news traveled at lightning speed, people came out of their homes to check it out for themselves. The pigs that had drowned in the sea below the cliff were there for all to see, but what was even more astounding was that their village lunatic was dressed and sitting peacefully at the feet of Jesus.

What do you think would be your response to this event if it had happened in your community? Would you be intrigued, thankful or afraid?  The townspeople in this biblical account may have experienced all of these emotions but the one that is noted is that they were afraid. Why would fear be the paramount emotion in this situation?

I believe the answer lies in our fear of change. Even abnormalities are comforting when we become used to them. The thought of having life suddenly turned upside down can cause many of us to experience anxiety, even if the change is for the better. I recently spoke to a woman named Betty who worked in an emotionally abusive environment but when given the opportunity to move into another department, struggled with the fear of the unknown. I was saddened to learn that she had chosen to remain in the unhealthy milieu because she feared moving into the unknown.

Just as the townspeople ran Jesus out of town because they were overcome with fear, I wonder how often we flee the presence of God because we fear the change that may be dawning. Have we withdrawn from intimacy with our sacred Lover because it is getting too personal and we fear having to make changes to the way we are accustomed to living?

The only way to truly counteract fear in our lives is to replace it with trust. If the townspeople had trusted that Jesus had come to offer them life in its fullest and that He had everyone’s best interest at heart, would they have embraced this Miracle Worker instead of banishing Him?  If Betty had sought after God’s will and had trusted that He was providing her a way out of the abusive workplace, would she have moved through the door that God had opened for her? If we truly trust that God loves us just as we are, would we allow His loving embrace and His extravagant love for us to seep into the core of our being and change our response to Him? Perfect love drives out fear. May our hearts be open to being filled to overflowing with the perfect love of Jesus. In that place, there will be no lunatics, abusers or Lovers to fear.

QUOTE:  “Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learn here.” (Unknown)

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1John 4:18 NIV).

Today’s Devotional is by Rosemary Flaaten. Her successful book, A Woman and Her Relationships helps women process their outside-of-work relationships, so now she’s delving into these 9-5 relationships in A Woman and Her Workplace. Her Relationships book won The Word Guild Award, which is Canada’s top Christian literary honor. A dynamic speaker—Rosemary challenges women of all professions to view their work as a calling and their workplaces as opportunities to live out Christ’s love. Rosemary lives with her husband and three children in Calgary, Canada.

Letting Go to Take Hold

By Rosemary Flaaten –

Letting go is hard for me, especially when it is something very precious to me or has brought significance to my life. Although I’ve heard the saying that from the moment a child is born we are preparing them to leave us, the process of letting go isn’t easy. It seems like only a few sleeps ago that I chose to let go of my firstborn, who was three hours old, so the neonatal nurse could take him to the nursery. Then there was his first day of preschool, feeling like my arms were heavy in their emptiness as I walked alone to the parking lot. The stakes were even higher on his first day of middle school. The realization that this was truly the beginning of the end of my hold on him brought moisture to my eyes and tightness to my gut.

Not too long ago, tears dripped down my cheeks as I commiserated with a mother’s emotions as she described her sense of loss as she pinned her son’s corsage on his wedding tuxedo. She had to let go in order for her son to grasp onto to what lay ahead of him. She realized that no man can be held by both his mother and his wife. It was her job to let go.

This truth permeates our lives. How many times have we tried to take hold of something new without letting go of the old? We must move our belongings and leave an old house in order to move in and fully live out of our new home and neighborhood. We must let go of the emotional ties to our old job and move with conviction and perseverance into our new opportunities. When we ask Christ to be our Lord and Savior, we leave the old life that is ruled by sin and take hold of the grace and love that God offers through His Son. One stage must be left behind in order to move into the next.

The apostle Paul gives his version of this life reality when he says, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13, 14 NIV).

Has God put before you something new for 2011? Is there something that has brought you pleasure, significance or meaning this past year, last month or even yesterday but you sense that today God is saying He has a new thing. Don’t get stuck in a rut where you continue to do something simply because of tradition or comfort. Be open to change. Be alert to where God is at work and then set about to join Him. To do so you may need to let go of the old so you can take hold of the new. Change is propelled by the movement of the Holy Spirit. Be alert! Be Present!

PRAYER: God, may our hearts be open and receptive to listening and discerning the movement of Your Spirit and then may we have the courage to obediently follow You.

Verse:  “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out!  Don’t you see it” (Isaiah 43:18,19 MSG).

Today’s Devotional is by Rosemary Flaaten. Her successful book, A Woman and Her Relationships helps women process their outside-of-work relationships, so now she’s delving into these 9-5 relationships in A Woman and Her Workplace. Her Relationships book won The Word Guild Award, which is Canada’s top Christian literary honor. A dynamic speaker—Rosemary challenges women of all professions to view their work as a calling and their workplaces as opportunities to live out Christ’s love. Rosemary lives with her husband and three children in Calgary, Canada.

The Green Iceberg

By Rosemary Flaaten –

Monstrous chunks of ice littered the seascape. Balmy weather had resulted in pieces of the glacier breaking off and drifting into open water creating oversized ice cubes with jagged edges, pinnacle spires and a glossy sheen. Icebergs, though magnificent to behold, create a menacing and deadly reality. If seaman only had to concern themselves with the ice that towers above the water surface, these icebergs would need nothing more than their brief attention. But, it is the enormous mass (almost 90% of the iceberg) that looms below the dark surface which poses the greatest risk and requires serious attention.

There is a matter of the heart that presents itself as an iceberg in our lives. We may show glimpses of it occasionally, but most of the time the bulk of this sin looms deep in the darkness of our hearts and minds. This iceberg has a green tinge to it. This sin that threatens our environment, our relationships and our soul is envy.

The wise King Solomon knew of the disastrous effect when he wrote “envy rots the soul” (Proverbs 14:30 NIV). Socrates called envy the ulcer of the soul, and C.S. Lewis referred to it as “the most odious of vices.” Our propensity to compare ourselves to others produces either a prideful superiority or self-debasement. At times we may verbalize these comparisons, but public scrutiny usually keeps these thoughts deep in our hearts and minds. Unfortunately, the relational effect is not hidden. Envy rips apart friendships, lacerates trust and erodes love for others, self and God.

As Christ followers who desire to have an inner spirit that reflects our Savior, we must melt the iceberg of envy. What’s the best way to get rid of ice? Sunshine and salt. Allow God’s light to expose the rot of envy beneath the surface. Let His word be the salt that directs you to love and respect others. Look for the good in others, celebrating who they are, their uniqueness and accomplishments. This will produce a much safer relational environment.

Beware! Icebergs may look harmless above the water surface, but danger looms below. Comparison may make us feel good, but envy destroys our relationships and soul. Let some sunshine and salt bring about a change.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You see my heart. Illuminate for me the relationships and situations where envy has taken root and help me to celebrate each person You bring across my path.

“Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original” (Galatians 5:25-26 The Message).

Today’s Devotional is by Rosemary Flaaten. Her successful book, A Woman and Her Relationships helps women process their outside-of-work relationships, so now she’s delving into these 9-5 relationships in A Woman and Her Workplace. Her Relationships book won The Word Guild Award, which is Canada’s top Christian literary honor. A dynamic speaker—Rosemary challenges women of all professions to view their work as a calling and their workplaces as opportunities to live out Christ’s love. Rosemary lives with her husband and three children in Calgary, Canada.

Angels Watching Over Us

By Rosemary Flaaten –

It was a night like any other. Our three preschool children had bathed and bedtime had consisted of stories and lots of giggles. The last bedtime ritual was a time of thanksgiving and prayer which always ended with “send angels to watch over us”. These prayer times with our children were a special time of tenderness and teaching about God’s provision and protection in our lives.

Despite having a young family, my husband’s job required him to frequently be away from home. The frequency had increased and he found himself with as many nights in hotels as in his own bed. Each night, whether at home or abroad, he would pray that God would watch over his family.

On this particular night, after getting the children to bed and packing his suitcase for his pending trip, he went to bed with a heavy heart, anticipating the time away, the loneliness he would experience and the growing anxiety of separation.

Eventually deep sleep came. But, for some unknown reason, he awoke in the middle of the night. With his eyes open, he rolled to his other side to snuggle next to me. But as he rolled towards me he was astonished by what he saw.

Hovering just over the blankets and in a fully reclining position was a Being – translucent and glowing. It wasn’t an illusion; it had depth and substance to it. It glowed in an iridescent manner. There was an angel not just watching over us but protecting us with his presence.

For a split second he was filled with fear that perhaps I had died, but my rhythmic breathing settled that question. In its place came an intense peace flooding his heart and mind.

My husband is a Type A personality who is not prone to fluctuations of emotion or seeing visions and dreams. But on that ordinary night, this extraordinary encounter gave him the reassurance he needed that God had heard our prayers and that all would be taken care of in his absence.

Prayer: Thank-you for being our loving Father who hears our prayers. Thank-you for being loving, gracious and full of mercy, and for desiring good for your children.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).

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