I have been reading a terrific but challenging little book titled Simplicity by Mindy Caliguire. One of her points is that we need to be in community; a community where people are living AWOL. A Way of Life that follows Christ.

That’s really what walking with Christ is: A Way of Life

Our path is full of
Choices
Obstacles
Dark woods
Open spaces
Smooth sections where life is easy
Rocky sections when things are tough
Storms that can overwhelm us
Sunny Days so pleasant that a storm is unimaginable

All of these varying circumstances we encounter on the Way. Not just times of rest, but times of struggle. Beautiful vistas and rotten refuse.

All mixed in. All with Christ constantly defending and encouraging us

Along the Way

Where are you along the Way? Curious? Just starting out? Years of journeying? Discouraged? Sidetracked? Overwhelmed?

When I was growing up the church we attended followed the Liturgical Calendar. This meant that annually we would reflect on the Last Supper on the Thursday before Easter and take communion. That made sense to me. But I wondered why Good Friday was called “good” when Jesus died?

Now decades later I come to Good Friday humbled by the knowledge of all that transpired. Please take time to watch the following video. It will be hard to watch, but not as hard as it was to endure.

Why is Good Friday good? You and I are now FREE! Tell me what that means to you….

Isn’t this a striking image? Right now the hills are SO green; but this photo was taken in August. The important element in this image is the fog. I live below the fog. Sometimes I feel like I am in a fog mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Where do you go when you are “in a fog”? Do you turn to food? To friends? To TV to distract you from the fog?

I have been allowing too many distractions to sidetrack me from using my time “wisely”. (A purely subjective term!) I like routine but I’m not married to it as my husband says. But lately I have had more challenges from distractions and I need help!

“We are also praying that we will be able to live well this life of uncertainty that we have been asked to walk.”

Fascinating quote, “I dwell in possibilities”. I think a road from somewhere to I don’t know where gives a visual expression to Dickinson’s quote. What is happening in your life right now that a picture like this is appealing? Or is it discouraging because you want to go somewhere but don’t sense possibilities? Where are you heading?

These and questions like them are the undercurrent that may bubble up for you every once in awhile. They are worth your time to consider. What if the season that you are in right now is nearing an end? What is next for you? Or perhaps the season you are in is very difficult and you want it to end! What are the possibilities around the bend?

Engage with me… let’s get in the conversation!

Cleaning out files and organizing clutter are two things I avoid regularly. Tonight I am alone and decided to tackle my desk files. One file titled “Summer Fun” had a collection of ideas for activities to do with my sons when they were 10 and 3 (they are now 21 and 15 to give you an idea of how much I avoid cleaning out files!). Included in the file was a quote that I had typed and printed. It was worth it then and it’s worth sharing now. Plus this gives me a distraction from the pile of files on my desk!

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

So by these standards, how is your success rating?

Monday I met a friend for coffee at the local Peet’s coffee shop. The seating was typically busy but we were able to snag a table just as another couple of gals were leaving. She and I sat there enjoying the ambiance and talking a mile a minute about kids, the recent high school dance that our freshmen sons attended, her birthday, you name it.

One of the other patrons seated nearby got up and packed up his things. As he started to pass our table he tapped me on the shoulder and told me he felt he was supposed to give me this piece of paper. He handed me a folded sheet of notebook paper. He looked rather tentative as he handed it to me. I opened it glancing to the last two sentences of the handwritten page. In a lovely manuscript were the words: “You are blessed AND a wonderful blessing. You reflect the Beauty of the Lord. I looked up at him and smiled. I thanked him for taking the time to write these words of encouragement and to risk giving them to me a stranger. He smiled broadly and said “I knew I was to give you this letter!” I told him that it is an encouragement to me just to see someone obey the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Now I don’t recall a spiritual statement in the 45 minutes that we had been sitting there (which is a sad testimony in and of itself!) and I had never seen that man before. I was stunned into silence as he walked away. I handed my friend the letter and she read the following aloud:

“You are a woman of stability yet there are times you think your stability has made you rigid and unfeeling. This is not true. You are a woman of great compassion, generosity and sensitivity. There is much fruitfulness in your life- you are surrounded by it don’t lose sight of it.

Your children- you feel you’ve done your best and that is true but there is more. Your prayers are powerful and will be continually used to shape, mold and protect their lives.

There are some hidden things you would like to do- to accomplish deep down- don’t count them out- pursue those dreams- brush aside the thoughts that you are egotistical, prideful- they are dreams that are heavenly given.

There is much more ahead of you- continued and expanding fruitfulness.

There is a gift of wisdom- it is the lifelong emulation of other women you’ve known and others you’ve read about.

Through your graciousness it will have lifelong & life changing effects on others.

You are blessed AND a wonderful blessing. You reflect the Beauty of the Lord.”

You might think that this is a pretty neutral letter and could apply to anyone, except for the facts that the three issues addressed, stability, children and dreams have been issues that I have been agonizing over in my times with the Lord. Knowing those details made me all the more aware that these were words specifically for me.

Why do I share them with you? So many reasons bubble up in my mind but one for sure is that you would know that God is personally interested in your life! He desires your time and cares about you! He really does know and have plans for you!

You may be the vessel to encourage a stranger. Don’t neglect the prompting of the still small voice.

You may be the one who needs the encouragement. Keep your eyes and ears tuned into God; He is at work! That encouragement may come in the most out of the box way.

Be fervent in your prayers. God’s timing is not ours, but it is perfect! Never early, never late but right on time!

I would love to hear your thoughts about this experience, or even better to hear how God has surprised you.

Somehow today is the right day to tell you a little more about me, so you understand where I am coming from when I present these big ideas like Unforced Rhythms of Grace! So please bear with me on a brief walk through memory lane….. I promise I will get to the blog post title eventually!

I don’t know about you, but I was raised with quite a hodge podge of faith traditions. My grandparents on my dad’s side were old school Methodists; deacon, adult Sunday school teachers, major donors to the church (found out at their passings). My grandparents on my mom’s side were Southern Baptist–grampa not liking to go regularly, gramma wanting to be there when the doors were open. My parents, in my early years (up to jr. high school age) were good at getting us to the Methodist church 3 out of 4 Sundays.

It seems like about once a month I spent the night with my mom’s parents and would go to church with them. I heard there the emphasis on “hell fire and damnation” which definitely put the FEAR of God in me as a youngster! The message I heard at the Methodist Church was the emphasis on service to those in need: soup kitchen, donations, making things to send to missionaries. If you are reading for what’s missing in my upbringing it was GRACE.

Fast forward past the wandering years of my youth and young adult years (which thankfully the Lord has forgiven and forgotten and I want to forget!) to a woman who came to faith in Christ at 23; hungering for grace and to know Him fully. I did what I hope every new believer does: bought a study Bible, got into Bible study and involved in a church. Grew like crazy!

Zoom to the present, 29 years of life later, covering many change points full of joys and losses as life on this earth holds. Still wanting to fully know the Lord. Still wanting to fully get grace. Have been learning a lot along the Way, which is why I started this blog last April. So this is my very abbreviated testimony to let you know a bit about me why I want to explore with you what Jesus has been doing in our lives, and to discover what is really important to Him. Here it is:

Relationship. Unforced yet Intentional Relationship. With Him first and with others.

He was asked what the greatest commandment was. He said, “love God, love others.” Relationship.

He told us how to deal with being overwhelmed: “Come to Me…”

Jesus didn’t demand that we relate to Him. He invites us to relate to Him. But how do we, in 24/7 flesh and bones bodies, relate to an unseen Being?

Uniquely. He knows you perfectly. You have individual ways you respond to the world around you. You may be someone who loves to read. Or you may be someone who loves to garden. Or someone who loves to run. Or you may be surrounded by young children daily. My point is, Jesus wants us to come to Him in the middle of what we do during our daily life. He wants to be involved in our comings and goings, in our folding the laundry or washing dishes. In bathing the children and putting them to bed. Whatever fills our days, the Lord wants to relate with us there. He will not force us to talk with Him (that’s prayer) but in order for us to experience fully His presence with us we have to be intentional in acknowledging His presence, inviting Him to be with us in what we are doing.

Come to Me….