The View from the Country Club

So Lovely

today I was so kindly invited to share a lovely afternoon at the pool of a very beautiful country club

The location was stunning and exquisite

lovely green rolling hills
 beautifully manicured all around
 a panoramic view of the ocean

the setting was so luxurious with every finery known at one's fingertips

 between our hill and the ocean was another green hill rising

also perfectly manicured and lovely in every way

also overlooking the same breathtaking ocean view

"Wow, is that another part of this country club way over there?"

Taking a closer look,  I observed small squares of gray dotting the grass at regular intervals

It was a cemetery...


The forward view from the country club was a cemetery

It was also so beautifully decorated and cared for and also over looking the same glorious ocean

but it confronted us with the reminder of our mortality
we are finite     
we are limited   

Enveloped in this beautiful environment, the conversation turns...
 a friend who has cancer
 another who is waiting to hear back on test results that may be serious
 concerns for those we love
 what we wish we could give them


Even here with every beauty and every outer need met
our hearts long for what we cannot have
immortality
life unending
a perpetual fountain springing up without ceasing
life forevermore


Come to Me and I will give you Rest

What a gentle but kind reminder from God

Yes, enjoy all the wonderful things that this life has to offer

but also remember

that I am the originator of all things that break upon you with joy and wonder

they all came from me

and sadly, they do have a limit and an end in this existence that you know right now

But YOU, O Lord
have no end
no limits to your beauty and glory
no diminishing of your joy and wonder

You never run out
You never change
You are never depleted
You are what our hearts long for most of all

"In your presence is fullness of joy
and at your right hand
are pleasures forevermore"
Psalm 16:11

I have seen an end to all perfection
but your law is exceeding broad.  Psalm 119:96 NKJV

In that last day, the great day of the feast,
Jesus stood and cried, 'If any one is thirsty
let him come unto me and drink
He who believes in me shall have a fountain of living water
springing up within him leading to eternal life. John 7: 37-38

10 Jesus said, “You don’t know what God gives. And you don’t know who asked you for a drink. If you knew, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water.”

11 The woman said, “Sir, where will you get that living water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with. 12 Are you greater than Jacob, our father? Jacob is the one who gave us this well. He drank from it himself. Also, his sons and flocks drank from this well.”

13 Jesus answered, “Every person who drinks this water will be thirsty again.14 But whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give will become a spring of water flowing inside him. It will give him eternal life.”  John 4:10-14 NIV

You want to bring us into the depths of YOU
into a fountain of love, peace joy
that is constantly renewed
springing up

a treasure that cannot be stolen away, fade out or break
a fountain that is mine no matter what my circumstances

17 Fig trees may not grow figs.
    There may be no grapes on the vines.
There may be no olives growing on the trees.
    There may be no food growing in the fields.
There may be no sheep in the pens.
    There may be no cattle in the barns.
18 But I will still be glad in the Lord.
    I will rejoice in God my Savior.
19 The Lord God gives me my strength.
    He makes me like a deer, which does not stumble.
He leads me safely on the steep mountains.
Habbakuk 3:17-19 ICB

12 I know how to live when I am poor. And I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens. I have learned to be happy when I have enough to eat and when I do not have enough to eat. I have learned to be happy when I have all that I need and when I do not have the things I need. 13 I can do all things through Christ because he gives me strength.  Phillipians 4:12-13 ICB

4 Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy.

5 Let all men see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need. And when you pray, always give thanks. 7 And God’s peace will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace that God gives is so great that we cannot understand it. Phillipians 4: 4-7

8 Brothers, continue to think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. 9 And do what you learned and received from me. Do what I told you and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.  Phillippians 4:8-9

Yes, the view from the country club is beautiful and yet it has a limit

We can make things beautiful and wonderful
But we cannot make it LAST

Only YOU are endless and eternal and I worship you

14 So I bow in prayer before the Father. 15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him. 16 I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the power to be strong in spirit. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love. I pray that you can understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than any person can ever know. But I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God. 

 Ephesians 3:14--19 ICB


From the best bliss that earth imparts

we turn unfilled to thee again

from "Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts"  

1	Jesus, Thou Joy of loving hearts, Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men, From the best bliss that earth imparts, We turn unfilled to Thee again.
2	Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood; Thou savest those that on Thee call; To them that seek Thee, Thou art good, To them that find Thee, all in all!
3	We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread, And long to feast upon Thee still; We drink of Thee, the Fountain-head, And thirst our souls from Thee to fill!
4	Our restless spirits yearn for Thee, Where’er our changeful lot is cast; Glad when Thy gracious smile we see, Blest, when our faith can hold Thee fast.
5	O Lord, be Thou our strength and stay! Make all our moments calm and bright, Chase all dark thoughts of sin away, Shed o’er us here Thy holy light.

music at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/205

Little Girl, I say to you, Arise

Its not too late
little girl I say to you arise
get up

but everyone else just laughed
it is too late now
she is dead
unresponsive
unrecoverable
unredeemable

But not to Jesus

put them all out, he said

He drew near
took her hand
and said
little girl
I say to you
Arise

Get up
rise up from your self pity
and discouragement
and despair

Get up
I have new life for you
 I have new plans for you

it doesn't matter what anyone else will say or think

It only matters that I am here
in this room
in this quiet hush

put out all the other voices
until it is quiet and you can hear what
Jesus only has to say

He is calling you

Arise

The Tenth Coin

It was the 10th coin

there were 9 others just like it
identical

but this one coin was lost
while the others were safe and sound

the tenth coin
was not where it should be

was not able to get to where it should be

could do nothing but wait and hope

longing

to be valued
to be searched for
to be sought after

to be found


To the owner

this coin was exceedingly precious
so valuable

that other important tasks were put off and postponed

things were moved

effort was made to recover

caring

searching

moving things around

uncovering

seeking

UNTIL IT WAS FOUND

You are seeking the lost

You came to seek and to save the lost

I am lost

here I am

please find me
praise you that you seek out

you rejoice when I am recovered

to you


this coin was made of silver
but its real value came from what the owner placed on it

precious
loved
valued
cherished
rejoiced over

Oh Lord, help us turn from our sin to you

Luke 15:8-10New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Story of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the house? Won’t she search carefully until she finds the coin?9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors together. She will say, ‘Be joyful with me. I have found my lost coin.’ 10 I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin.”

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

True Peace =Your Peace

"You, Lord, give true peace. 
You give peace to those who depend on you.
You give peace to those who trust you. 
So, trust the Lord always.
Trust the Lord because He is our Rock, forever"
Isaiah 26:3-4 International Children's Bible


MY PEACE....
my peace is like a Hallmark Card
or a
G-rated movie made for 2-3 yr olds
very little conflict
easily solved with a few words
everyone happy and getting along together in a wonderful way

YOUR PEACE
but your peace is
strong
durable,
deep
lasting
enduring storms
rugged
not flimsy or fragile
 like cookies made of delicate icing
beautiful to behold but shattered with the least pressure

your peace is like the rocky cliff that endures the battering and bashing of pounding waves
and stands still
it can be counted on
it can be depended on
it can be the rock on which the foundation can be built for a house that will stand through any storm


A SURE FOUNDATION

"Everyone who hears thes things I say 
and obeys them 
is like a wise man. 
The wise man build his house on a rock. 
It rained hard and the water rose.
The winds blew and hit that house.
But the house did not fall, 
because the house was built on the rock.

But the person who hears the things I teach and does not obey them 
is like the foolish man. 
The foolish man built his house on sand. 
It rained hard, the water rose, and the winds blew and hit that house. 
And the house fell with a big crash."  Matthew 7:24-27

Both houses might have looked just the same
Both individuals heard the teachings of Jesus
but only one responded beyond just the hearing

They looked the same
until the storms came


GOD'S WAY FORWARD

I have learned that pretty much anytime I pray for a better relationship with someone
what comes to my mind is beach sunsets and lots of smiles and quick understanding and comfortable times together

what I tend to experience is:
 Conflict
not just Conflict but

CONFLICT !!!!

nail bitting,  up all night for days at a time kind of stress

this always comes as a shock and surprise to me

but I begin to see You in this


MY WAY - SLIGHT HEALING

"They try to heal my people's serious injuries 
as if they were small wounds. 
They say, 'It's all right, it's all right!"
But really, it is not all right."

Jeremiah 6:14 International Children's Bible


"They have also healed the hurt of my people slightly, 
Saying, 'Peace, peace!' 
When there is no peace."

Jeremiahh 6:14 KJV


I want to smooth things over with something nice
and it is always wonderful to show love and kindness to others
a soft answer does turn away wrath

but I see that I really wish to avoid dealing with the unpleasantness that is lurking below the surface
this is where sin lurks, hides and grows

like a poisonous plant
like a cancer cell
silently  mutating microscopically
but then duplicating itself over and over again
over time
until
many times
by the time it is known
it is too late

ROOT OF BITTERNESS

"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:  looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble and by this many become defiled.
Hebrews 12:14-15 NKJV

"Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God.  Make sure no one gets left our of God's generosity.  Keep a sharp eye our for weeds of bitter discontent.  A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time." Hebrews 12:14-15 The Message

all plants grow from a tiny seed
hidden under the soil

we only see the plant springing up
the fruit it bears
("You will know them by the fruit they bear" Matthew 7:20)

but the root grows below the surface
hidden and unseen

I may cut off the part I see
but the root persists
it springs anew and afresh

It seems, for me, anyways, that it is only in deep seated difficulties
with those whom I am very close to and love deeply
 and/or are in consistent and close levels of interactions with

that the roots of things become clear

I can put up with a lot
or at least I try anyway

but it these deep and intimate relationships
I cannot

and the truth of what is in my heart is made manifest
for those who have eyes to see it


LIGHT MAKES MANIFEST

"The secret things in his heart will be made known. 
So he will bow down and worship God. 
He will say, 'Truly God is with you.'"
I Corinthians 14:25 ICB

this passage is not talking about an individual alone with God and a Bible
it is describing the community of believers
together
I have found this to be true
it is in relationships with others
that the revealed truth of God is made clear to me

the truth  - not what I think is true about myself and my behaviour
but actually what is truly true

I need you to help me see what God is trying to show me
about myself and what He wants to heal, change, transform
where He wants to get worship and glory
I cannot see it clearly on my own
because my own point of view most likely will distort it

"Every person who has ears should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches"
Revelation 3:13 ICB


OPPORTUNITY

right here in this relationship
in this difficulty and conflict

is an opportunity to hear You, to really hear You

Oh Lord, grant me the eyes and ears and heart to really see, hear and receive the truth you are wanting me to face
to not sugar coat it
excuse it
defend it
point the finger out to another
or to the circumstances

What are you trying to communicate to me?

Regardless of what another may be saying, doing, thinking,
You are at peace
You are not perturbed
You are not agitated
You are at rest
You are full of love
Even when you must take strong actions and words
They are done in your wisdom
and rightousness
and for the ultimate good of another

This is the only path to your peace

PEACE WITH GOD

Your peace that came through shedding of blood, betraying, mocking, whipping, scourging, rejecting, nailing, crucifying
dying

no smooth, simple, easy peace here


"We have been made right with God because of our faith. 
So, we have peace wtih God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Through our faith, Chriat has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. 

And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory. 

And we also have joy with our troubles 
because we know that these troubles produce patience. 

And patience produces character, 
and character produces hope. 
And this hope will never disappoint us, 
because the God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. 
God gave us his love through the Holy Spirit whom God has given to us. 

Christ died for us while we were still weak.  

We were living against God, but at the right time, Christ died for us. 
Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. 
Although perhaps for a good man someone might possibly die.

But Christ died for us while we were still sinners. 

In this way, God shows his great love for us. 

We have been made right with God by the blood of Christ's death.

Romans 5 :1-9 ICB


"You, Lord, give true peace. 
You give peace to those who depend on you.
You give peace to those who trust you. 
So, trust the Lord always.
Trust the Lord because He is our Rock, forever"

Isaiah 26:3-4 International Children's Bible

not knowing where, when, how or why but knowing WHO

"The Lord gives me my strength 

He makes me like the deer which does not stumble. 
He leads me safely on the steep mountains." 

Habbakkuk 3:19 International Children's Bible

seeing an image of a deer or a mountain goat skillfully jumping from one tiny outcropping to another without slipping and falling below

so many times wanting God's leading to be more like a freeway

flat and graded smooth

paved over and stable

with bright street lights and 

huge clear signs that show

this is what road  you are on

this is where it leads 

this is how far to go to  your destination

this is where you can find services

and a head's up when there are long spaces of no immediate resource available

but this verse resonates with my experience 

those tiny outcroppings of rock are scarcely visible

a massive and insurmountably steep rock wall

with loose and unstable elements everywhere

but up close 

after looking and searching for a while

you can just see the next tiny outcropping ahead 

 not any further

but that is all you need 

to move to that next small spot

one step or small leap at a time

no whizzing along in comfort at 70 miles per hour

but a slow, careful but sure going from one tiny place of provision to the next 

not knowing what is ahead 

or how to get there

 or what will happen later

but knowing Who
is providing
navigating
leading

there is one who is with us 

and has placed one small step 

just within stretching reach

He has promised to lead 

and give us what we need

sometimes in huge ways

sometimes in tiny, incremental ways

navigated step by difficult and uncertain step

Our confidence is not in ourselves to find the right way or figure anything out

or that the path leads to where we get what we what necessarily 

but In the One who has gone before

and now is with us and providing 

just that one next step

He is the only one who knows which tiny outcropping is firm enough
to hold our weight
firm only because He is holding it and us up from underneath

He will not let us fall headlong

Oh Lord 

help us to focus on you instead of the path ahead

and then the next step becomes clearer

we don't feel or think like we are making any progress at all

but you see how far you have led us to this point

and you are not wasting any of this experience in any way 

to bring us closer to dwelling in the depths of you

and resting in who you are

we love you

God's amazing work in the absolute worst sermon ever

 “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jonah 3:4

that was the whole sermon

the whole message

just one sentence

delivered by a man full of prejudice, anger, bitterness and lacking in grace

Jonah did not care about his hearers

in fact he was quite looking forward to their destruction


He did not labor over his message

or try to develop a creative hook to get their attention

or try to explain anything that might be unfamiliar of unclear

no lively stories

no passionate or heartfelt appeals


and yet, one of the most amazing responses ever recorded in the whole Bible:

 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

6 The word reached[c] the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

the people of Ninveh heard and responded in such a whole hearted genuine repentent way
 God did not do as he had said

this is all the more ironic
considering all the prophets
 God sent to speak
to those who professed to know him

with very little helpful response recorded

Oh Lord, 

let me never think,

oh,  that person is beyond the work of God's redemption...

they would never understand
they are not interested in God in any way
they are too hardened
too sinful
they have done too much already
surely God is not interested in such
they are certainly doomed
and rightfully so

Oh Lord

let me never think,

oh. I am beyond

prejudice,

hatred,

bitterness

wanting to observe
and even enjoy
another's comeupance

God was seeking to work salvation in the people of Ninevah and in the heart of his own servant

they both had equal need

but

sadly only one experienced God's amazing mercy

Oh,  let me beware
it was the one who professed to know Him
that missed Him entirely...

it was the one who knew so much about Him
that never really enjoyed Him at all...

 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong. He became angry.
2 He prayed to the Lord. 
Here is what Jonah said to him. “Lord, isn’t this exactly what I thought would happen when I was still at home?
 That is what I tried to prevent by running away to Tarshish.
 I knew that you are gracious.
 You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. You are a God who takes pity on people. You don’t want to destroy them. 
3 Lord, take away my life. I’d rather die than live.”

4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Jonah 4:1-4 NIVR

it was the one who assumed he was in the right
that ended at odds with God'

the book of Jonah ends with Jonah, alone in a hot dessert,
angry at God and not being willing to change

He thought it was the people of Ninevah who needed to change the most 
but most of the this book is showing God interacting with Jonah 
seeking to work salvation and deliverance and redemption in him


Oh Lord, give us ears to hear you,

 really hear you

let your double edged sword of truth peirce through our deflections

whatever words you might want to speak through us

there is also always a message for us to hear as well

eyes to see your beauty and your working
in what is to us, the most unlikely of people and places

a heart to always be humble and live in the wonder of your grace and mercy

"For by grace through faith you are saved
it is the gift of God and not of ourselves..."  Ephesians 2 :8-9

Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. 

Ephesians 2:7-9 The Message

Ephesians 3:20-21New American Standard Bible (NASB)

20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations [a]forever and ever. Amen.