Lost and Found

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20 ESV)

I remember a time when I was younger and I had gotten bold and decided for myself I would walk home with a new friend (yes, someone I didn't know that well) instead of catching the bus to my house. Now back then, bus drivers knew their route kids and when we were not there, they would wait for a bit. I remember having to wait longer because the bus driver was waiting for me as then we took off on foot walking to her house. I couldn't have been there any longer than an hour and a half and had to head home. Now I knew the way home. But I walked slowly as I begin to realize that there would be discipline awaiting me there. Finally a few hours later, I returned home to my mom opening the door and yelling at me. Of course, back then I didn't realize the fear but only focused on the yelling. But what I realize now is that she opened the door as I walked up to it. I didn't make a lot of noise; I didn't even get to knock. She had a child missing, a prodigal daughter, and she was awaiting my arrival, meaning she knew I was coming home. 

There is a story in the Bible about a prodigal (reckless, lost) son who had gotten his inheritance, left, squandered it, went broke, worked for menial pennies in low jobs and then returned to his dad with a repentant heart. Let’s break that down just a bit, shall we? He got his inheritance from his DAD which meant his dad was still alive. Aren't we supposed to get that when someone dies? This boy had greed and restlessness growing in him for awhile. But let’s also look at the flip side! When he returned, not sure how many catch this, his dad saw him from a distance. You know what that tells me? His dad was looking for him! His dad didn't just see someone and say someone's coming. No! He recognized him from a distance! How many parents know our children?! I have adopted kids in our church and I can see them with their backs turned and know that it’s them walking! A parent’s recognition is better than any of these recognition tools out here today!! We know!! And if we are expecting out kids home, much like this father, we will be standing watch! 

Isn't that how our ABBA is?! He stands watch for when we return from our ridiculous, reckless and sinful ways. And then He recognizes us as His sons and daughters and greets us with love! There is no, "Well it's about time!" or expletives being shot at us or even condemnation readily flowing our way about what we have done and how messed up we are. Or worse still, silence when we return. No, He runs to us with open arms, greets us with hugs and kisses and has a celebration for us! How awesome is that?!

Do you have an area of your life that has You feeling like God is far from you? Maybe you received a blessing from Him, squandered it and are now left with an empty home, wallet or life. At what point do you say, as this prodigal said when it started getting dark and I had to walk or the prodigal son in the Bible, "What am I doing? How much more are people being blessed even though they have little and I'm starving myself?" God loves you even if you don't love yourself! God remembers you and waits for you to remember Him and return to Him. He won't even make you come 90 and Him 10. Take the first step in turning from your sins and I guarantee you will know He is with you.

Father, Your love for us is unexplainable! Even though we constantly do wrong, make bad choices, ignore Your voice and demand to have a "Have it your way" life, You still love us! You long for communion with us and wait for our return to You when we wander. When we return You meet us where we are at and shower us with Your love! Thank You for that! Forgive us because we have sinned against You and thank You that condemnation and questioning doesn't come out to meet us with You! Lord, thank You for Your patience with us, continue to show us Your grace and mercy! In Jesus name! Amen!

Transparent Journey

“Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it." Matthew 7:13

This journey called life is full of ups and downs. It can be uplifting and full of awesome markers such as birth, graduations, weddings, celebrations, promotions and just plain laughter. It can also be full of heart breakers such as death, divorce, suspension or termination, back stabbing and the like. Then there seems to be the mediocre. The ups and downs of emotion: joy, happiness, love, laughter, depression, hatred, loneliness, etc. This is the journey we call life and there is no way to jump off the train without getting hurt or dying (attempted or successful suicide) as well as there is no way to bear it all without the Conductor of our lives to reassure us of the bumps and bruises we may get when we are pushed, forced or fall down. 

The verse today speaks so much to me. I picture this very narrow but worn path met with distractions, vines in the way, hanging limbs that look as they may fall at any time and a dusty, sometimes uncomfortable road leading to the Way, the Truth and the Life; Jesus. But in all actuality He is the reason that path is worn. He walked that path centuries ago to pave the way for us, to make it a little bit easier to see this very small, very narrow path. The three years of His ministry was marked with ups (deliverances, miracles, little children, converts) and downs (death, denial, lies, ignorance of his own disciples, abuse, slander and eventually his own brutal death). But the miracle of His story, of his life on Earth is that it didn't stop there! He rose again 3 days later!!! That can be the truth for us as we who continue to walk, stumble and even fall on this very narrow path, we too can take heed and rise as well. The point is not that you have fallen; the point is that God loves you regardless and you can raise back up as Jesus did as a Holy Example!

The opposite of the narrow path is that wide, very traveled path that everyone who does not care to be careful, all those that have traveled the road that is less comfortable and those who don't know there is another road are content to walk on. The road is made in such a way that many can fit on it at a time. It's made to be more comfortable and there is less bumping into folks, less stepping on shoes, less chance to ruffle someone's feathers on the journey. Who wouldn't want this path? I walked this path for 38 years. It was comfortable, it had tents in case I wanted to rest or give up for a while. There were pit stops to sit and drink, mingle and even meet up with desirable people. What it didn't have is Jesus. I could tell there was something missing. Even when I was young. I tried talking to this God I had heard about from different churches but couldn't seem to yell loud enough over the crowds of people walking with me, and I certainly couldn't hear what He was saying to me. That became irritating and I would eventually say, "Oh never mind!" each time I tried to start this conversation. All the while the only thing He was saying was, "I love you, beloved child. Come walk with me." But that wide road looked so much more comfortable than the narrow one He was walking with those few worn, tired looking, sometimes carried people. I didn’t want to leave this road and lose my place on the road to "success" just to go over and see what He was saying to me!

What road are you on? Little do we know, the wide road has its bumps as well. Those bumps are messages sent from the One who longs to walk beside us on the narrow road. It's His way of saying, "Come to me and I will give you rest." We are so busy walking that we don't realize we need rest. We don't realize we are more tired looking than the few on the narrow path. They just don't seem to be having fun and He has to carry them sometimes! We never have to be carried on the wide road, do we? Or maybe it's that we have no one to carry us and so we just keep moving. Aren’t you tired of walking? Don't you desire rest? His arms are waiting. Walk the path of Jesus and get that rest you need! Its okay that you fall, He will catch you. He won't condemn your fall. He will only brush off the dirt and either carries you or set you back on the path, depending on the pain from that fall.

Have you been on the narrow path and gave up because you couldn't "see" God from where you were? There is a popular poem called Footprints that says on the times you only see one set of footprints, those times when you don't feel Him near, it's because He is carrying you. I like to say when I can't feel Him or He seems far away, He is preparing my table in the midst of my enemies! But I forget that and want to look to the right and the left and that's when I lose my footing. Come back to Him. His arms never get tired of being wide open for you. Walk, run, and jog.... come to Him. After all, Jesus walked this road initially and paved the way for us. He made it and He was on earth as flesh just like us, why can't we?

Jesus, thank you for marking this hard to walk road for us. Thank you for not stopping at dying for us but also rising again with all power to then give us that same power in you. This road is hard to stay on. It seems to be filled with distractions to trip us up and knock us down. Those on the wide road have their eyes always on us waiting for us to trip and fall. Give us strength to continue this journey and show them the way to walk it victoriously. In Jesus name, Amen!

Transparent Direction

So Tuesday, I was up early and moving. Jumped into my Word but didn’t really pray, which I really need every day because. I had to get my son to the college he will be attending in the fall (a WHOLE nother story). So on the way there, I use my Verizon app for directions, Navigator, which I downloaded the day before. We got there relatively easy but left a little too late to get to the school on time (story of my life!). Well he got there in enough time to get a mini tour which would be finished after his college placement test and I was able to leave quickly. SN: It is not the same leaving your child at college as it is in their first daycare/ school. Anyway, so I start out to leave, once again using the Navigator and I notice that I am not going the same way. Then as I start to leave, not waiting for it to upload, it keeps "recalculating route" (literally that what it says). Each time it does, I have to go through some sort of mini thorough way or residential area, making my trip longer and longer. Then as I get to a road I know, it tells me to go another way. Much to my dismay and frustration, I come out on that same street! "WTHeck!” is what I said out loud (would that be WTHeckOL for facebook abbreviation???) I finally got so mad that I shut the thing down and went the way I knew, what I really wanted was to throw the phone out the window!



Now at first, trying to be all spiritual, I ask God what He needed me to learn out of that frustrating experience. Then without even waiting for the answer I made up my own, that I have to listen to His direction in order to get where He needs me to go. SMH! Then I started contemplating and listening up until even now when I JUST got confirmation of what the lesson was! I need to SLOW DOWN!! Not all of His answers and routes in my life will happen so quickly! Sometimes He will have me take the longer back roads just so that I can spend more time in Him, in training! And finally sometimes the quickest road is not always the BEST road to take! Sheesh Lord! I’m so thankful that You take the time with me, show me how to take time with others and the things You need me to! Amen!!!



Lesson from His heart to me shared with you: Take your time! The world is not our worry. Things are perishing every day. Our focal point while in labor with His blessings is to be His Kingdom... (Again my life verse) Matthew 6:33. "Seek first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness..." We don’t have to worry, as a matter of fact He commands us not to several times! We do not have to fear what is to come... or what is not, we are to focus on HIM! And He is not a microwave god so the fast-food mentality of learning and meditating will not work. Some days He will have a quick lesson for us and others will be long and "drug out." Nevertheless, we should take our time with what He gives us, good and bad, just as He takes His time with us!