My Anchor

Life has a way of testing our anchors and tempting us to drift. Nevertheless, if our anchors are correctly placed in the rock of our Redeemer, they will hold no matter the force of the wind, the strength of the tide, or the height of the water. Dieter F. Lahectorf

I love this quote! When life gets rough and I react, it makes me re-examine where my anchor it placed. When I’m all worried and upset, my anchor isn’t resting on the rock of my Redeemer.

Lord, keep my anchor firmly resting in you. When it is, I know that you are in control, and I need not fear. Thank you for loving me so much.

The Rising Son

Early in the morning, in the pre-dawn gray light, I wander around the retreat center.  As I meander past the ghostlike trees, my feet crunch in the gravel path.  The wind sighing high above in the treetops provides an oasis of peace and quiet away from the noise and bustle of the city. While the day slumbers, my feet turn toward Vesper Lookout, the highest land in the area.  Short of breath, I soon reach the top of the steep hill and gaze at the beauty all around me.  Gently rolling hills dotted with cedars, sycamores, and burr oaks await the new day.  Below my feet the buildings of the campground rest gray and colorless, waiting for the sunrise to bring them to light and life.  A strong wind blows at the top of Vesper Lookout, whispering God’s name through the cedars at its crest.  I turn and face a six-foot-tall wooden cross fashioned from tree trunks.  The cross faces due east, pointing toward the impending sunrise.  I kneel at its base, humbly acknowledging my risen Savior, the creator of all this beauty. This is why I’ve climbed to the top of the hill, to view God’s glorious sunrise.

            I turn and face the east. I wait…I watch, nearly holding my breath. Gradually the sky reflects the light approaching beyond the horizon.  As I wait, the world around me changes, heralding the coming of the light.  Gray fades, changing to light blue.  Colors in the landscape become more distinct, details pop out, and the birds sing “good morning” to a new day.  Soft pale pink emerges in the sky, spreading from the east around my right to the southern sky. The golden grasses and brown-black tree tops bow low in the wind.  I wait…I watch.  Gradually the pink wash turns brighter and deeper, rejoicing in the coming sun.  All around me the clouds turn vivid pink.  The eastern sky brightens, streaks of yellow shining through the clouds.  The winds nearly shout, “The sun is coming!  The sun is coming!”  I wait with bated breath. At last it comes.  A slice of the brilliant, bright red-orange sphere peeks over the horizon.  The great ball of light rises above the horizon, illuminating a new day.

            Just so the Son of God rose on a spiritually dark world.  All of creation waited; all of creation held its breath, waiting for the wind of His spirit to blow across the land.  The risen Son brought the brilliance of a new spiritual day.  The light of salvation now shines for all to see.

            Dear God, thank you for the risen light of your Son.  Help me to reflect His light for others to see.

II Samuel 22:29 “You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light.”

Eternal Gifts

“If you give your soul up to anything earthly, whether it be the wealth, or the honours, or the pleasures of this world, you might as well hunt after the mirage of the desert or try to collect the mists of the morning, or to store up for yourself the clouds of the sky, for all these things are passing away.”

― Charles H. Spurgeon

Lord, take my focus off of the glittering things of this world, for they are transient. Even if I wanted to, I could not keep them. Instead, keep my heart on everything spiritual, for they build my soul, keep a strong relationship with you, and will last eternally. Thank you for your good gifts.

God’s Word

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “dwell” means “to live in a place or in a particular way.” It us a verb, which denotes action. So, if Christ’s Word dwells in me, it implies that his Word lives in me, perhaps in a particular way. Might that way influence how I think or act? Might it influence how I respond to others? Might it enable me to offer God’s grace to others?

Father, as I read and contemplate your Word, I pray that it will reside in my heart and influence my thoughts and actions to more closely resemble yours.

Spiritual Lessons

“…the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by his letting us have our way in the end, but by his making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly pray what he taught his disciples to pray: Thy will be done.”

Elisabeth Elliot

Lord, it is easier to pray for want I want. Teach me to meet you in that still, small place where I can listen and learn. In the waiting, let my soul be receptive to the lessons you’d have me learn. Teach me to pray in all circumstances, “Thy will be done.”

I’m back! So sorry for the break in the posts. Between knee surgery and a computer that decided to die, I’ve been unable to post for a while. But now, the knee is better, the dead computer has been replaced, and all my files were saved.

I wrote this verse years ago at a Christian retreat. I can still remember seeking a quiet place and reading “The Anima Christi.” It really spoke to my heart. That evening, sitting cross-legged in a quiet corner, I wrote this poem. Even though we’ve already celebrated Easter this year, this poem is one to contemplate after Easter. I hope it touches you.

Blood of Christ

Blood of Christ course through my heart,

That I may love like thee,

Blood of Christ course through my brain,

That I may think like thee.

Blood of Christ, nourish my tongue,

That it may speak for you,

Blood of Christ nourish my eyes,

Let them see as you do.

Blood of Christ flow to my hands,

That they may do your tasks.

Blood of Christ flow to my feet,

That they may walk your paths.

“Blood of Christ fill all my veins;”*

Then You will live in me.

“Blood of Christ fill all my veins;”

Your blood has made me free.

*from “The Anima Christi,” a poem written by an anonymous Medieval writer

God’s Embrace

A tickle deep in my throat prompted me to leave the sanctuary during the sermon.             I got a drink, coughed, and blew my nose where the noise wouldn’t disturb others. Standing outside the nursery, I heard several little ones crying. On an impulse, I opened the door, ready to help.

As soon as I walked in the room, a little cherub of 2 or 3 walked toward me with arms outstretched. I sat on the floor and she climbed into my lap and placed her head on my chest. After a few moments she got up and played with one of the toys. Soon she was back on my lap, ready for more snuggling. For the rest of the service, she didn’t say a word, but quietly cuddled.

I didn’t hear the sermon that morning. My sermon came in actions, not words. A little toddler reminded me that God will hold and comfort us whenever we walk toward him with arms open wide.

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms….” Deuteronomy 33:26a

Abba Father, let me be like the little child, my arms open wide to receive your comforting embrace.

Home

“Home is the center of my being where I can hear the voice that says: ‘You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests’—the same voice that gave life to the first Adam and spoke to Jesus, the second Adam; the same voice that speaks to all the children of God and sets them free to live in the midst of a dark world while remaining in the light.” — Henri Nouwen

Thank you, Lord, for setting me free to live in your light.