As The Deer Pants for Water

In summer the hot sun scorches the earth.  The brittle grass browns and breaks.  Moisture-starved leaves yellow and flutter to the ground.  The baked earth, cracked in every direction, cries for rain.  Insects buzz in erratic dances—nothing else moves.  The stifling heat rises in waves.

Safe in her thicket, the deer stirs.  Hot and parched, she must drink.  Gingerly, she ventures to the brook to quench her thirst.  Frequently, she pauses to sniff the air, sensing wolves and other predators lurking nearby, eager to taste her flesh.  They too must drink, so her danger heightens as she nears the life-giving water.  In spite of the danger, her extreme thirst drives her to the stream, for she pants for water.  She must drink.

On a hot summer’s day, we guzzle glass after glass of cold, refreshing water, attempting to slake our thirst. If our souls truly pant for God the way the deer pants for water, what would we do? Like the deer, will you risk all for life-giving water? What steps are you taking to slake your spiritual thirst?

Psalms 42:1&2 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

O God, give me a thirst for you.  Make my spiritual thirst strong, so I must satisfy it. Give me the discipline to drink deeply at your never-ending spiritual stream.

Amazing, Ordinary Life

“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful, it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful” L. R. Knost

What are you doing with your amazing, ordinary life? How are you using it to help others?

Buoy Me Up

The ocean is relatively flat in this sheltered harbor. Gentle swells buoy my husband and me up and down as we tread water 50 yards from the shore. We’re more accustomed to clear, flat, chlorinated swimming pools. Swimming in the ocean is a rare treat. Quickly we notice the buoyancy of the salt water is quite different from pool water.

Soon I realize that I can keep myself afloat with just gentle kicks or quiet sweeps of my hands. Before long I discover another surprise. Between the salt water and my additional pounds, I can afloat upright, breathing easily, without kicking or stroking. I cross my legs and place my arms down at my sides. Still upright, my head stays above water.  Keeping very still, I find my body gradually tipping; the waves have gently pushed, and I find myself on my back, still afloat. When I face the shore, my body gently tips forward, and I now float on my stomach.  Being able to stay upright in the water with my head above the water without working to stay afloat amazes me! Very quickly Scott also adapts to this new buoyancy, and we enjoy our time in the waves, staying above water effortlessly. All we need is a few gentle hand strokes or kicks to keep our balance.

If only it were so easy to adjust to God’s buoyancy! After many years and many trials I’ve learned that God keeps me afloat even in the darkest of times. He keeps my head up even in the biggest waves of life. Yet still, how often I vigorously kick and press my hands against the waves, working desperately to keep my head above the water, forgetting that God buoys me up. If only I could learn to relax and allow him to buoy me up and keep my head above the waters that threaten to suffocate me. How often I kick and struggle, wearing myself out instead of giving in and allowing God to take control and buoy me up.

Father God, help me to trust in You and allow Your buoyancy to keep my head above the waves. Buoy me up Lord, buoy me up.

Psalm 33:20-22 (NIV) “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”

In what ways have you learned to put your trust in God to keep you afloat in difficult times?

Let His Light Shine

II Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Thank you for giving light in the darkness.  May Your light shine in the hearts of each and every person. I thank You for enabling us to have glimpses of Your glory. Help us to know and understand you better so we can live lives pleasing to you. God, brighten Your light in us so that it will shine brightly for others to see.

He is Worthy of Praise!

Every day, in every circumstance, He is worthy of praise. I just finished a four mile walk in the woods. At the moment, I am praising Him for His creative power. What a magnificent world He has created! A stunning variety of plants and animals, a bright blue sky overhead, plus the earth and water to sustain life. Praise Him! Praise Him!

Why are you praising Him today?

The Eyes Have It

Photo by Kelly L on Pexels.com

The Eyes Have It

                As I taught the simple rhythm game, dozens of pairs of dark brown eyes danced with glee. Huge smiles covered the faces of the beautiful children sitting on the floor with me in this church in the poorest section of Matamoros, Mexico. In spite of the language barriers—the children spoke no English, and I spoke only a little Spanish—we communicated.

As we clapped, snapped, sang, and did crafts together, their eyes sparkled. Later in the day, whenever I glanced up from my work preparing for the next day’s bible school, one or more small brown faces peeked through the church windows. When I smiled and waved, their hands waved furiously, smiles broke out, and brown eyes danced with glee. Pure joy shone out of those huge, dark brown eyes.

                Maria, the mother and grandmother of some of those children often sat, watched, and listened at our daytime Bible school. Even though she spoke no English, she loved to watch us and the children.

Part of the day she stayed at her tiny home a block and a half away. There, she watched the men in our group saw boards, pound nails, and paint turquoise walls. Her eyes watched as the new edition to her home, a 8 foot by 16 foot room, nearly doubled the size of her tiny house.

Maria, mother of ten, one deceased, watched her house grow. Maria, quietly sitting in a folding chair at the church, watched the children laugh, play, and learn at Bible school. Maria, active member of her church, sang praise songs at the top of her voice and knelt on the hard tile floor to silently pray. In her eyes I saw tremendous gratitude. In those big brown eyes I saw amazing peace.

                Seventeen of us traveled to Matamoros, Mexico in two rented vans. For six days we worked in Mexico, joining God in the work he was already accomplishing there. I looked into the eyes of my 16 companions. Some eyes glowed the same dark brown as those of the residents of Matamoros. Others shone bright blue or green.

At first glance all I saw in those eyes was fatigue. They worked all day in the heat—110 degrees plus heat index—and slept at night together on the roof, praying for a breeze, scattering when it rained. All this produced deep fatigue.

Looking past the fatigue, however, I saw more. In those eyes was resolve: pound one more nail, paint one more board, help one more child, serve one more meal. In these eyes I saw true servanthood. In spite of the unbearable heat and the extreme tiredness, I saw the eyes of the eager servants wishing to do God’s will.

                The eyes…the eyes are what I remember most. Whether the brown eyes of the locals or the multi-hued eyes of their guests, I saw something special shining. Through the eyes, as clear as a cloudless sky, I saw the love of Christ shining through.

                In what ways are you letting the love of Christ shine through for others?