Unveiling Hope

In the Beginning

My eyes locked on the eyes of the wind and sun-weathered face of the man holding the STOP sign. He gazed upon me while my  bold and brazen, beady little eyes bored through Him. He walked to my car, waving the motorists behind me by. He bent down and smiled. I lowered the window.

“Having a tough day, Hope?”

Oh – my – God! It’s HIM! I just knew, with everything in me, it was Him. “I’m sorry, Lord. I guess I’m a little impatient with all this resurfacing going on.”

“Is there something you’d like to ask me?”

“Well, Lord…now that you mention it…could you not have just made me, in the beginning, the way you wanted me to be at the end? All these resurfacing projects are rather troublesome. It’s as if every season there’s one project after another. It seems to me if you would have – well – that is to say – you could have made me the way you wanted me to be from the beginning. Then you wouldn’t have to keep working on me and you could work on someone else – who needs it more.”

Of course you know He was smiling at the exact moment that I realized what an idiot I just sounded like and how very much I need a lesson in humility. Don’t be surprised, He’s about to give me one.

“It has to do with cost and future growth. You see Hope, in the beginning, when I made man I made him in my image, not my exact likeness, so that he could recognize the family resemblance. Because I made you, I don’t need to rebuild you. You live in a world where people are tearing up the roads of life; the seasons take their toll. In my great love for you, I come around and resurface – smooth out the rough edges and level what has caused the surface to buckle. I want to pave the way for you, Hope. I’m for you not against you. I’m here to help, not hinder you. The foundation you were built upon is solid and very dear. Yes – I’m preparing you – clearing a path, so to speak. I could have saved myself all the time and effort, all the tears and heartache, but you’re worth it and I enjoy the time we spend – these moments when you have no choice but to stop and talk to me, and listen to me. Do you understand?”

I felt as if I was choking – on my tears, the words that wouldn’t come out, but most of all my pride – my stupid, stupid pride.

He reached His dusty hand inside the car and brushed the tear from my cheek then motioned for me to move on. When I got home, I rushed to the bathroom; I stared at my dirt and tear-stained face – a face that was touched by the hand of God.

Aren’t you thankful that He loves you just the way you are, but that He loves you enough not to leave you as you are?

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27.

What Goes Up Must Come Down ... Eventually

Back in the day, I used to be an advocate in the labour arbitration field. During my first year, I won every case. Winning did much to boost my confidence in my new career choice, but what I would soon realize was that there is a fine line between confidence and conceit; I crossed that line. At the beginning of my second year, I was scheduled to argue 3 cases before the arbitrator. I was ready; I was ready to mop up the floor with my adversary. By the end of the morning my confidence that had quickly turned into conceit was just as quickly being turned into humiliation as I was knocked down a peg or two … or three … all three, in fact. I paid a visit to my boss after the arbitration. I sat sunk into the chair in front of his desk – completely dejected – and announced the results to him. “Good!” He said. “Good on you!” Uh, hello! Did you hear me correctly? He smiled as he told me that to be a winner, I had to learn how to lose; he was more than happy to help me out in that respect. Pride is like a hot air balloon. A proud person never expects to land in a cactus field, but WHEN they do they can choose to do one of two things: they can criticize, condemn and complain about the landing; or they can praise God that they’ve been corrected and start pulling out the needles. What goes up must come down … eventually. Let the record show there were many more losses after that day but I chose to count them all as wins in my spirit. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,” Proverbs 16:18.

Who Will You Follow?

Parents – you know the drill. Child: Please, can we get a puppy!!

Parent: No. I’ll end up being the one who ends up feeding it, walking it, and walking around town with a little baggie in my hand.

Child: I PROMISE! Puhleezzz, I promise to do all those things and you’ll never have to remind me. I’ll be the puppies daddy.

Flash forward 6 years. Parent: Did you walk the dog? Did you feed the dog? Did you …

Child: Why do I always have to do it? He’s your dog too! Besides, he never sleeps with me anymore; he loves you more than me – he’s always following you – you take care of him.

Buddy loves to get his back and belly scratched. My son is way too busy to afford him that simple pleasure yet he expects the dog to sleep on the end of his bed, or cuddle with him when he watches TV. Truth be told, Buddy does follow me around. He sleeps on the end of my bed. He knows who makes sure his food and water dishes are filled. He knows who’s going to walk him and who’s going to cuddle up with him and scratch his belly or his back. Buddy knows who to follow.

I’ve been on this planet for a long time. It’s only been in the last 5 or 6 years that I have learned that seeking someone to love me, care for me, be there for me, and put up with me, comes not in human form. Try hard as a person might, no one can meet all our wants and needs – obviously that doesn’t even work for man’s best friend. In these past years however, there is One who has never left me, never forsaken me, and doesn’t seem to mind following me around to clean up the messes I make.

Did Buddy know, when he was picked from the litter, that he’d be conditionally loved by one and unconditionally cared for by another? No, he didn’t, but as sure as his tail is always wagging – he knows where to go and who to follow? Who will you follow?

“You did not choose me, but I chose you,” John 15:16. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3.

The Big Picture

When I look back upon my life and the mistakes I made – those that had tremendous impact on the future that was yet to be – I see clearly now that I had no peripheral vision. I thought I knew it all; I thought I could see the big picture.

I quit school and ran away from home when I was sixteen. My vision told me that whatever situations I would face in the future couldn’t possibly be as bad as what I was going through at that time. Wondering where you’re going to sleep at night or when your next meal will be are not questions that anyone – especially a young person – should have to entertain. There were secrets I was trained to keep – to hide. Reaching out for help was just not part of the equation.

I learned how to build walls; I learned how to avoid detection – flying under the radar so I wouldn’t be noticed. People who don’t get noticed don’t get hurt. I also learned how to take care of myself, how to survive. When I built those walls I did so to not only keep people out, but to keep God out. I couldn’t believe that a loving God would have allowed a child to have suffered and lived through some of the things I had.

They say that we soften with age. I turned 50 last week. Age does not soften people who live inside fortresses. Wisdom is what softens the heart and soul and it’s not the wisdom that comes with the experiences of life. True wisdom is imparted by the Spirit of God with which He also gives understanding.

Today, when I look back throughout those many years, I can honestly say that these were the years that prepared me for the future. Understand that those walls I built were constructed for protection. My lack of vision and understanding caused undue hardship. But God is so good: while I was building walls, He was installing doors all around my fortress, giving me an easy way out. I just couldn’t see the big picture. I wouldn’t allow myself to recognize that there were door knobs surrounding me.

When I finally came to the end of myself and realized that I was surviving but not living, it was then – through my tears and desperation – that I began to see that there was a way out of the prison I had locked myself into. People have asked me why wouldn’t God put the knobs on the outside and just come in and rescue me. The answer is so simple. God doesn’t bust through walls. He’s a gentleman; He waits for an invitation. He made a way out for me and I chose to remain inside.  

God saw the big picture. While I could only see what was directly under my nose – He saw what He would be able to do with me – with my life. God waited for me to want a way out; it was only then that I actually began to see all the door knobs He had placed there. Today I don’t merely survive; today I thrive.

“‘Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:24 ESV.

The Price of Freedom

Princeton Wordnet’s definition of independence: freedom from control or influence of another or others. It sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? For some, freedom comes with a price. For the Jew, for Israel, the cost of independence is paid with blood, sweat and tears.

On May 14th, 1948 Israel declared its independence. To that, many nations refused to recognize their declaration. That, to me, is insane. It’s ridiculous and beyond my comprehension. Would Canada, or the United States, have laid down with their tails between their legs had the rest of the world said, “Uh, no. We don’t want to recognize you as a country and not only that, but we don’t want ‘you people’ in any of our countries either. In fact, truth be told – we wish you’d just disappear of the face of the earth.” Why should Israel be expected to walk away with their tail between their legs??

No one would put up with that nonsense and yet – still today – in 2009 it continues. Sixty one years after surviving not just as a state but as a people – against all odds … Israel continues to flourish. Yet still, a great price continues to be paid, a price far too high to pay.

In this world of “political correctness” where does consideration and respect for the Jewish people fit in? Anti-Semitism grows rampant, like a fungus on the face of society; it’s an abomination to God – a stench in His nostrils. I feel ashamed to be part of this world sometimes. What can I do as one individual to take a stand, to do the right thing? What can any of us do? Don’t tolerate hatred. If every individual can do this one thing alone then together we can do so much more. If you enjoy your freedom, stand up for someone else’s.

I thank God for Israel. I thank God for His Chosen People. I celebrate the anniversary of their independence and pray for them many, many more.

‘With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD : "He is good; his love to Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.’ Ezra 3:11.

Re-gifting

Merriam-Webster defines the noun “gift” as: “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation”.

Normally, a gift comes from the heart from the one who has it to give. Every once in a while, and I’m sure it’s happened to all of us, we receive a gift that just – well – you know – the gesture was thoughtful and all, but eek! For the most part however, the gifts we are given are a reflection of the giver’s heart for us; the gift can be a tangible or intangible expression of their love for us. Some of these gifts turn out to be family heirlooms that are handed down from generation to generation and while the monetary value of the gift may or not be significant they hold an incalculable, intrinsic value that render them irreplaceable. These are the gifts that cannot and should never be re-gifted.

If you’ve been reading Unveiling Hope for any length of time, you know that there are some things that I am so passionate about I cannot keep my quiet about them. I’ve argued with myself back and forth for weeks about whether to post this. It’s burning inside me. I cannot hold it in any longer.

God promised, to His Chosen People, a land flowing with milk and honey to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Under the leadership of Moses, God brought back His people to a land He first gave to Abraham. This was His gift to His People. It belonged to Him and was His to give. Until 1948 most everyone but the Jews failed to recognized Israel as a state, or it’s right to be a state; sixty-one years later it seems little has changed – how tragic.

My heart has been burdened to pray for an impartation of wisdom for the Knesset. In the name of peace, as I too often read, the government continues to consider re-gifting God’s transfer to them. What makes me weep is the fact that Israel’s enemy does not really want their land – they want to be rid of Israel – the Jews – God’s Chosen. If every Jew in Israel moved into the least desired corner of the country and gave the rest up – in the name of peace – as God lives that would be the next parcel of land Israel’s enemies would want.

I pray O Lord, wisdom, courage, understanding, and revelation for the members of the Knesset. I pray for your Truth to be unveiled in the media. I pray for those who claim to be allied with Israel to stand up with a firm spine and not simply speak words of affirmation and encouragement, but to move with action and in prayer for Israel at an international level.

“But if I say ‘I will not mention him or speak anymore in his name,’ his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed I cannot,” Jeremiah 20:9 NIV. 

Putting Things into Perspective

My son and I sat down to dinner Sunday evening. He had a case of teenaged ‘tude – not unlike myself when I was his age. One minute all smiles and chuckles and the next – look out if someone breathes too loud.

I had picked him up about half an hour before supper. He had been singing and whistling. By the time we sat down to eat his disposition had changed. I asked him if he was cranky and he answered yes. I asked him if someone had said or done something to offend him between the time we arrived home and supper. “Nothing happened. I’m just crabby.”

A few minutes later I asked if there was anything I could do. He responded there was nothing I could do and “people have the right to be in bad moods for no reason once in a while.” Hmm.

Why would anyone want to be in a bad mad for no reason? I left him to his thoughts. As I cleaned up the dishes I placed my laptop in front of him. My friend had sent me a PowerPoint show of a couple of dozen photos she had recently taken when her house almost burned to the ground. She has eight children. He looked at the photos intently. He recognized one of the young children that he takes care of in the nursery on Sundays. I looked at my son and said, “Kind of puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?” He shook his head and smiled.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,” Phil. 4:8 ESV.

So, Where's the Blessing?

On Sunday evening my eldest son was to swing by my place and pick up his brother and me; we were planning a dinner out together. He called 4 minutes before he was scheduled to pick us up and asked if we could meet him there half an hour later. I agreed, but I let my impatience get the best of me. So, I occupied myself for about twenty minutes before my youngest son and I left.

Dinner was good. The company was great. Just as the waitress was bringing the bill my eldest mentioned the word “egg”. I jumped out of my seat with immense panic building up. “Sweet Jesus! I left a pot of eggs boiling on the stove!” (Not just a ruse to get him to pay the bill). I darted off. I broke every speed limit on the way home, praying for help and praying for forgiveness for breaking the law. As I was approaching the turn off to the intersection nearest my home, I rolled my window down to see if there was a smell of fire in the air. As I rounded the corner I looked for a fire truck and saw none. I jumped out of my car, it may have still been moving for all I can recall, and I ran into the house. It was full of smoke, the stench of 8 eggs was glued to my walls, floors and ceiling, and the smell of burnt teflon permeated the house. There remained in the smouldering pot half an egg. Those eggs were hard boiled alright – to the tune of 2 hours!

My dog Buddy was no where to be seen. I ran to the patio door to let some air in and then ran to the front to open the door. Just as I opened the door Buddy appeared out of no where and darted out the front door and stood by my car. “How could you do this to me,” was the look on his face. “You know I’m afraid of the smoke detector!” I’m sure even he prayed during those two hours. Buddy ended up with egg all over his face and so did I. It took my son and I over an hour to clean up the mess.

So, where’s the blessing in all this? All the way home I prayed and prayed and begged and pleaded that everything would be okay and that I hadn’t burned down my neighbours’ homes or killed my dog. He answered my prayer. In the natural scheme of life, my home should have gone up in smoke Sunday evening. The fact that it didn’t was a God thing. That was supernatural. There was no luck involved. It was answered prayer. Thank you, Lord.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us,” 1 John 5:14.

Some Things Should Never Mix

If I was a vegetarian I would starve to death. My repertoire of veggies is sorely limited to: corn, potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes (which is technically a fruit), celery and lettuce. That’s it. I refuse to apologize to my children for having limited their formative years to believing that those were the only veggies in existence. Why? Because they developed their own sense of taste over the years and have moved beyond the restrictions my palate placed on them and have embraced many veggies that you’d have to put a gun to my head for me to try. Yeah! That’s right. Some of them I’ve never even tried!

I’m not ignorant of the fact that eating vegetables is important to my health so, I try and scarf down a V-8 once in a while. I noticed this wild commercial on TV for V-Fusion. THEY said that I could get my serving of veggies in a fruit drink and not even taste the vegetables. I bought a HUGE bottle of Strawberry Banana V-Fusion. THEY LIED. I distinctly tasted carrot in my first gulp. Some things should never mix – they just weren’t meant to be.

So . . . I have this acquaintance who has fallen head over heals with someone who doesn’t believe in God. I didn’t even know she was dating him. She told me not to worry. She knows that Christians are not supposed to be unequally yoked but she “has it all under control.” What can I say. She’s already acquainted with the biblical perspective and the reasoning behind it. All I can do is continue to love her, meet him and love him, and pray to Almighty God that He works a miracle.

This past weekend she told me they went to see a psychic who believes they were “meant to be.” And there we have it. Some things should never mix. So, I’m praying for wisdom and understanding and a couple of pounds of unrelenting grace. I just hope she notices the taste of carrot in her fruit drink sooner rather than later.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails,” 1 Corinthians 14:4-8 NIV.

Life Apps

 

Several people I know own iPhones . I think that’s great – if you’re technically inclined that is. I’m still trying to figure out how a picture is transmitted through a fax machine and comes out the other end whole again. I have a fear of technology. Oh sure, I use a laptop with various applications. I have a Blackberry, a DVD player and even an iPod . It’s my personal experience however that the more technology I have, the more confused and frustrated I get.

I’m a simple girl. I like paper. I have an electronic agenda, but I don’t trust it – I write everything down on my paper agenda just in case. I use the calculator and I always double or triple check to make sure I get the same answer every time. Yes, technology is wonderful.

I’ve been looking at the iPhone online lately – ah don’t ask me why and forget what I just said. You can purchase what I call Life Apps. Oh, some of them look super! They have apps for entertainment. They have directional apps (yup – apps for maps). They have educational apps such as dictionaries, and they even have apps that help you get yourself fed.

So, I was thinking about what a great tool this might be for me, (if I wasn’t so afraid of the “T” word), until it dawned on me – I already have one Life App that provides all those things and more. My Bible gives me direction, it feeds me, it even entertains me. It educates and encourages me. It provides wisdom and counsel. It gives me courage and strength. It’s my 9-1-1 direct line 24/7. There are always 5 bars going strong with no re-charging required.

Maybe for now I’ll just hold off on the iPhone  – but in case you’re wondering – if and when I ever buy one – my first Life App will the the Holy Bible!

“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful,” Joshua 1:8.