Pieces of My Heart

 Once again I have managed to ignore this blog many months. Life...'nuff said!

However, I am prompted now to write down some thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head the last few days. Maybe it's retirement or maybe because I have been reacquainted with some former students lately but for whatever reason I find myself being nostalgic about the impact having been involved with children for 40+ years has had on me.

Despite having participated in hundreds of children's lives over the years, there are certain ones that take up residence in my heart and never really leave. Children who have lost a parent to the ravages of cancer. Children being fostered and later adopted because of abuse or neglect in their young lives. Children with so much baggage from their past that they shouldn't even be functioning. Children with life threatening illnesses. And then there are those with such unique personalities you can't help but remember them with a smile. 

These children I have been able to cry with, laugh with, pray with, reason with, and sometimes practice tough love with but have always done so out of a passion for them to succeed not only in this life but eternally. 

Some of these children I have been able to remain connected with through school, church or social media. Some I have lost contact with and wonder often about their futures. Many have gone on to have families of their own and are leading them in a Godly lifestyle. These cause me to experience a sense of pride that rarely extends beyond immediate family and I can't help but rejoice when they are able to rise above their grief or past.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn. I know that God placed me in their lives at a certain time and in a certain way to accomplish His purposes and don't even pretend to assume it was my own strength or wisdom. 

So, other than walking down memory lane, what can be learned from all this? 

I think that Jesus feels the same way with us. He knows our pain, our grief, our baggage and willingly gets into the middle of our mess if we ask Him to. He cries with us, laughs with us and yes, sometimes has to practice tough love to get us to where we can surrender to His will. 

And because of all that, we can be assured that we too hold a special place in Jesus' heart. Now and forever. I don't know about you but that comforts me in a way that nothing else can. 

I've got other things rattling around so I might be back on before 2026. Merry Christmas everyone!

The Unplanned Life

 

I recently spoke at an event at our church and promised I would reiterate the main points on this blog for anyone who might be interested. 

I won't get into the whole story of our journey raising a special needs child but will summarize by saying this. My plan for her life when she was born doesn't in any way resemble where she is right now at 44. But the lessons we have learned about accepting God's plans rather than our own have impacted all of our lives and taught us that His plans can be so much better if we let Him direct us. 

I have been able to identify at least three reasons that God will redirect or even cancel our plans. Preparation, protection, and timing.

God may be preparing us for the future by redirecting our plans.

Instead of seeing our plans as being taken from us, What if we saw the time as being given to us to prepare us for the future He has planned. 

Prime example from the Bible is Joseph.

I’m sure that when Joseph got up that fateful morning to go check on his brothers, his plan was not to wind up in a hole, be sold into slavery, and end up in prison.

But God had a much bigger plan for Joseph. One that would land him as the right hand man to Pharaoh and ultimately save hundreds of thousands of people including his own family. And the secret to Joseph’s success? He stayed faithful and trusted God’s plans even when they didn’t make any sense. Even when he was betrayed by his brothers and wrongfully accused, he never stopped believing that God had his back. 

And how about Esther? She was perfectly happy in Mordecai’s house but the Lord had other plans for her too. She wound up in a harem of virgins, receiving a year’s worth of beauty treatments and waiting on the King to decide who would be the next queen. The palace would have been a strange place for Esther who by all indications was a humble, Jewish woman who had probably spent her life helping take care of the household. I’m sure that in her wildest dreams she would not have predicted that she would become the next queen, risk her life exposing a plot to wipe out the Jews and eventually save all their lives. 

Esther only accomplished this victory because she laid down her fears, accepted what her fate could have been and trusted that God’s plan was worth risking everything for.

Jeremiah 29:11 has always been my go to when things were not working out like I hoped.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Notice that it says he has plans not just for our future but He also can give us hope. There wouldn’t be any need for hope if there weren't struggles involved. 

God may be protecting us from something we don’t see.

God knows what is best for us even when we don’t see it. Ruined plans are the perfect opportunity to show us that His concern is eternal and not earthly. He is all about showing His glory and sometimes that involves patience and perseverance, two words we rarely are excited to ask for.  

We can’t see the big picture like God can and when we can’t understand why things are not going as planned, we have a choice to make. We can trust that He knows what He is doing or we can take matters into our own hands and suffer the consequences.

Take Abraham and Sarah. God had promised Abraham that he would have a multitude of family members but when old age was creeping up and the promise seemed to fade, Sarah decided that God’s plan was for Abraham and not for her. She convinced Abraham to have a child with Hagar, her slave and that’s where the drama began. 

Imagine how things might have been different if Abraham and Sarah had trusted God’s plan and waited. 

The promise was eventually fulfilled but not without consequences that have affected whole nations and can still be felt today in the conflict between the descendents of Isaac (the promised son) and the descendents of Ishmael (Hagar’s son). 

We never know the danger that might be just around the corner that God may be protecting us from. 

A job opportunity that falls through, car trouble at an inopportune time, vacation plans that have to be canceled, an engagement that fails to be fulfilled could all be ways that God is directing a safer path for you. He could have an even more impactful and successful life planned that you can mess up by trying to take control of the situation. 

God’s timing is impeccable.

Ever hear anyone say “I love waiting!”?

We are an instant society and having to wait for anything is not often a pleasant thing. 

However, when considering God’s plan for us, timing is everything. He wants us to be in the right place at the right time and in the right mind. Sometimes that takes minutes and sometimes it takes decades but nothing can stop His plan from happening when the time is right.

Sometimes the delaying of our plans can make the outcome even more miraculous. It is when things seem the most impossible that gives God the chance to show up in mighty ways.

Why do you think God made Abraham wait until he was 100 years old for him to have a son? And for Sarah to be in her 90’s? It is often when things seem the most impossible that God’s power can be revealed and His perfect plan the most displayed.

How can we not consider Jesus when we think about the importance of God’s timing. There were multiple opportunities for God’s plan of salvation to be derailed but absolutely nothing was going to get in the way of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. 

And the timing had to be right. Jesus’ ministry didn’t begin until He was 30 years old. We don’t have a lot of information about His life while He was growing up but we can assume He participated in normal family life. Even though He could have revealed who He was long before His 30th year, He chose to live a life of relative obscurity until the time was right. 

God knew the exact time and place for His promise to be fulfilled. He knew who needed to be in power, which men He was preparing to be Jesus’ disciples, whose hearts would be open to His message and whose would not. It all needed to be in exact alignment. 

Because I am an incurable educator, I would like to conclude with the ABC’s of what I consider the How-to of turning over our lives to God’s plans.

Acceptance

Sometimes we just have to accept that God knows what He is doing even when it doesn’t make sense to us. Surrendering your own agenda and acknowledging your dependence on God will bring you perfect peace.

Isaiah 26:3 says “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

Because God is at work in our lives, all the hardships can strengthen our faith. Out of this can come a deeper relationship with God with the by-product of peace and contentment. 

Biblical viewpoint

God’s reason for interrupting our plans may be for an even greater purpose. It may be that your own bad choices have caused you to need a course correction. It may be through no fault of your own and the enemy is trying to derail you but God can use the situation to bring Him glory. His focus is on the permanence of eternity and not the temporary.

Change your perspective. Look at it as an opportunity to grow. Anticipate what God is going to do even if He chooses a plan different for your own. He may be asking you to let go. 

Commitment

Wherever God puts you, commit to being the best you can be for the Kingdom. Find ways to take the focus off of your troubles and concentrate on helping others. Sometimes the purpose of your tough times is for those around you as much if not more than it is for you. 

There is a Casting Crowns song called Desert Road and the chorus goes like this:

I don’t know where this is going but I know who holds my hand.

It’s not the path I would have chosen but I’ll follow you to the end.

Lord, as long as I am breathing I will make your glory known.

Even if it means I’m walking on this desert road.

When the Lord is moving you into the wilderness for a period of time, He has plans in the desert. And I don’t know about you but I’d rather go someplace with God than to be somewhere without Him.

Deuteronomy 31:8

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

So wait for Him. Trust Him. Keep your sense of humor and be at peace knowing God’s still in control. He knows what’s best for you and will accomplish His plan if you let Him.

Firstfruits

 

And why would we want to talk about firstfruits? Isn't that an Old Testament practice? 

Yes, you would be correct but, as is often the case with OT principles, there is a significant application for us in our current spiritual life.

First a history lesson. (Those of you with an aversion to anything historical, don't stop reading. It's important.) The firstfruits offering was first instituted in Leviticus 23. The people were to bring a sheath of grain from their first harvest to the priest who was to wave it before the Lord.

Then in Deuteronomy 26, the details get more specific. The first harvest of the crops were to be placed in a basket and presented to the priest. He would place the basket on the altar and then a whole liturgy was to be spoken by the people. It was very specific and when they finished, they bowed to the Lord. 

No grain was to be harvested before the firstfruits were offered. The significant part of this is that when they harvested that first crop, there was no guarantee that there would be more to harvest later on. Drought, locusts, hail and any number of other catastrophes could occur that would ruin their chances of a bountiful crop. The people had to trust that the Lord would provide for the rest. 

Don't miss that last sentence. They gave God the first and trusted Him with the rest. Put a pin in this and let's go the New Testament. Firstfruits is mentioned seven times, always symbolically because of one very important event.

Jesus fulfilled this firstfruits offering when He died for our sins. 

1 Corinthians 15:20 "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."

Subsequently, we as believers are considered the firstfruits of all creation.

James 1:18 "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth; that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."

So let's pull this all together. Through Jesus, we are offered to the Father as a firstfruits offering. Our obligation is to give Him our best (our first) and trust Him to provide whatever we will need in the future. This includes our time, our money, and our talents. 

For me, this means that when I am reluctant to give of any of these things, I need to remember this firstfruits principle and not so be worried about how they will be replenished. That's God's job, not mine. 

Can I get an AMEN?

The Smells of the Seasons

 

I love the smell of spring. The different smells from flowers, trees, and fresh cut grass all mingle together to create an amazing fragrance. 

Summer just smells hot and sweaty. Fall tends to smell like moldy leaves and dust. Winter doesn't have a smell because everything is frozen. But spring....that's a whole different experience. And I'm not talking about the manmade smells like pumpkin spice or cinnamon. These are the smells of nature and spring just brings a freshness to the air that no other season can claim. 

As I was taking a walk last night through our neighborhood and enjoying the sweet smells, I was reminded of the many times in the Bible that God considers our worship as a "sweet aroma." In the Old Testament, it was the smell of the sacrificial offerings being made. But in the New Testament, because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, our worship now becomes the aroma that pleases God. 

"For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." 2 Corinthians 2:15

All this made me think about my own worship and how it smells to God. Which season does it resemble the most? What fragrance do others smell on me? Spiritually, not physically, of course. The latter could be iffy at times. But spiritually, we Jesus followers should give off an aroma of love, peace, joy and all the other fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5. 

So enjoy the smell of Spring while it lasts but let's make our spiritual fragrance last all year. 

Routinization

 

Routinization.

I wasn't sure if that was even a word. Surprisingly, it is and not surprisingly, it means "the state of becoming routine."

Routines are good. They help us feel safe and in control. This is especially true for children. We are all creatures of habit by nature. Need to be convinced? 

What pew do you sit in every Sunday? Where do you put your keys, coat, purse, etc. when you come home?  Does your family all sit in the same place at the dinner table?

Like I said, routines can be a good thing. However, they can also lead to some bad habits. A second definition of routine is "a boring state or situation in which things are always done the same way."

Routines in our spiritual life is one area where it can become dangerous. When we learn how but forget why. Routinization. 

We do it in our worship at times. Have you ever sung the words of a familiar song but didn't really think about what you were singing?  Have you ever read or recited a familiar scripture without truly ingesting the full meaning? And what about your prayer life? Ever find yourself saying basically the same thing? Imagine if your spouse said the same thing to you every day in exactly the same way. You might eventually stop listening or at least begin to think he or she doesn't really mean what they are saying.

I'm not saying we can't sit in the same pew on Sundays or that God won't listen to our prayers if we say the same thing. It's more about us then it is about God's response. Is my worship from my heart or just from my mouth? 

Over and over in the Bible we are told to "sing a new song." Psalm 33:3, 96:1, 98:1, 144:9, 149:1 just to name a few. God wants our worship to be fresh and meaningful, not stale and routine. 

Something to think about, huh. 

Of Sheep and Shepherds

We tend to think of sheep as one of the dumbest animals. However, if you look it up, sheep are not actually included in the top ten. (Yes, I looked it up. Which proves you can find just about anything on the internet.) 

Here are some more interesting facts about sheep and shepherds, whether you care to know or not...

Some shepherds would count their flocks every night to be sure they were all there but often times the shepherd didn't need to count them. As they would herd them into the fold, the shepherd was able to "feel" the absence of even one of his sheep. The appearance of the flock would be "off." Many shepherds named their sheep and would call them all by name. 

The sheep became to know the shepherd's voice and would come when they just called out. Smaller herds would sometimes join together at night in the fold. Then in the morning, each shepherd would call their own sheep out of the fold. Imagine hundreds of sheep milling around but only those that belonged to that particular shepherd would come out. They knew their master's voice and trusted him to lead them safely.

The scriptures mention sheep and shepherds more than 600 times in the Bible. The use of this topic was so common because not only were the people of that time able to relate to it but it also gave (and still gives us) a perfect picture of how the Lord wants us to respond to His voice.

"Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep...."I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved."  John 10:7-8

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." John 10:14

We are to know His voice as completely as the sheep know their master's voice. So how do we do that?

It's all about relationship. Think about all the people you would know just by their voice. Why do you not have to see them to recognize who it is? Because you have a relationship with them. You've spent time with them. You've talked with them extensively. 

Sounds like what we're called to do in our relationship with Jesus, right? I guess the internet was correct in their assessment of sheep and their intelligence. Let's be like sheep and follow our shepherd wherever He leads. 

> Trials = > Faith

 Yes,  I know the title is not proper math but if you follow my thought process, it might make some sense.

When there have been trials come into my life, I find myself waiting and wishing for things to get back to "normal." However, God's view of trials is much different. 

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.." James 1:2

This verse tends to strike us as a pie-in-the-sky, fantasy island kind of an attitude. After all, what does James know about my trials? If he knew, what I have to put up with, this should read more like, "Consider it pure inconvenience/frustration/pain/annoyance whenever you face trials of many kinds."  Right??

Let's take a look at James, the brother of Jesus. 

James was a leader in Jerusalem  He lead the church for 30 years during which the Jesus followers were "a community in crisis." They were persecuted and impoverished. This was the group of people James was in charge of.  I believe he knew a thing or two about trials. Despite all of this, he penned this second verse, the one we really don't want to accept. 

Trials expose the authenticity of our faith. When we face trials, we discover immediately something about our faith. What we truly believe becomes abundantly clear by our responses and reactions. 

"When circumstances deteriorate, artificial, counterfeit and what's-in-it-for-me faith deteriorates right along with it." Max Lucado

The good news is that there can be joy in discovering how real our faith really is. When we face trials, we will discover something about our faith and about God. Trials automatically exercise our faith. 

Faith is not how we get God to do stuff. It isn't a superpower. Faith is the confidence that God will do everything He promised. Faith demonstrates and produces something. 

Perseverance. 

But in order for perseverance to be a benefit, we must allow it to finish its work. We can't leave early or stop believing. The one thing that we want removed may be the one thing God has chosen to use. The tension in our lives may be the epicenter of God's activity. 

Trials are never fun or easy but they do have a purpose. Instead of praying for the trial to end and things to be normal again, what might happen if we prayed for the trial to change us to be more Christ-like? God can use great trials to grow great faith if we change our perspective and surrender to His will.