Circles of Listening

(photo from unsplash.com)

Welcome to my circle.


My circle gets larger each day, the people within my sphere of influence; the people I meet daily – at the supermarket, or a political gathering, at church or at the gym. 

My circle gets tighter, too. As the needs of the people around come to my attention, I pray. Sometimes God has me praying for people without even knowing their needs. He’s good like that, He doesn’t need to let me in on everyone’s business just so that I can pray for them. 


I may look impatient in a long line, until I look around at all the people around me. They may be impatient, too. But, many of them are hurting with concerns they’ll never share with me. That doesn’t stop me from praying for them, once I allow God to get my attention. If I’m fussing about the slow cashier, or that my ice cream is going to melt or that the child behind me won’t stop whining, I’m not listening for that gentle prompt from God.

(photo from west.com)

But, when I let all that distraction fall by the wayside, it’s much easier to hear and even discern who needs prayer and a smile or a kind word. Sometimes, even who needs me to buy a gift card for them, or just the quiet suggestion to buy a gift card and trust the cashier to give it to whomever needs it as they pass through their line.


Am I rich? Yes. Beyond measure. That doesn’t mean my bank account has an overflowing balance. But, you can’t out-give God, His idea of thanks or payment are very different than ours.

Listening for His still small voice always pays off, whether I see the payment or not; whether I know who needs the benefit of my listening ears or not.


As my circle broadens, so does my heart.

(photo from Edutopia.org)

Sometimes when I’m privy to someone’s story, I can get anxious. Many are tragic. Evil raises it’s ugly head too often. Life doesn’t always seem fair, not by a long shot. So many times, I question, why? But, that’s a question that doesn’t always abound with answers.


As my circle broadens, my compassion grows and my mind can be drawn into serious drama that surrounds me. But, my blood pressure can come right back down, when I’m listening for God to show me what to do, because I trust that He’s is in control!

(photo from Edutopia.org)

So, as my circle grows and grows tighter because I connect with people who have no clue someone is praying for them, it’s lined with the soft carpeting of a listening ear. Without that ear, this large circle can feel like a cold, comfortless prison cell.


Fourteen times in the NIV version of the Bible, we can read, “Whoever has ears, let him hear…”


Listening and hearing from God connects us to God. Listening and hearing God speak to our hearts connects us to the others around us, whether we know them or not.


Ever feel disconnected? Now, you see why. Those are the times you’re not listening. Or perhaps you’re listening to wrong voice; the one who tries to fill your head with lies – about yourself and others.


You may want to tune into what scripture says, so I’ve listed those fourteen verses here so you can find them easily.

Good night, friends. I’m listening…

(photo from skillshare.com)

Get Out of the Car

(Lake Dillon)

Get out of the car.

While driving through the mountains this weekend, having the most fabulous time ever, we saw scenery that took our breath away. I took lots of pictures as we hiked, and as we drove along the highways. We soaked in a hot tub to relieve our weary legs from the over-the-top hike. Hiking isn’t for the elderly unless you keep in shape! We had a wonderful time and I don’t regret a minute of it. (We’ll just have to work on the staying in shape bit a little more seriously.)

On our way back home we took a shorter, less scenic route, but enjoyed plenty of breathtaking views. While driving, I played around with technology and became frustrated. Even in the midst of such phenomenal beauty, I let myself get caught up in the pull of the world. 

(On the hike up to Lily Pad Pond in Silverthorne.)

I reminded myself repeatedly, “We’re having a great time. Calm down. Step away from the technology.” 

I was going to waste my day of relaxation and our quality time together getting mad at my phone.

What was really whispering through my head, there in the background, where I had to really listen for it, was, “Get out of the car.”

Once the whisper was loud enough, I said it out loud. Dave raised an eyebrow, but I said it again. “We need to get out of the car.”

We were coming upon a small lake to the south of the road, so we stopped. Needless to say, it was beautiful. The weather was perfect, like it had been all weekend. It got so warm I was glad I was wearing a sleeveless top. Yet, standing on a small bridge, the winds whipped down through a pass to blow my hair and caused us to snuggle into our jackets.

(I took this picture from the breezy bridge.)

A train whistle sounded nearby. That made both of us smile. The sound of a train brings back childhood memories. Within minutes of getting out of the car to walk around the lake, the frustrations I let my cell phone burrow into my soul were completely gone. 

The next time you’re feeling anxious or even angry – get out of the car!

Whether that’s literal or not, break the process. Your mind and your body want to let it go, help it out. Get out of the car. Put down the frustration. Leave the room. Count to ten? Well, maybe it’ll take a breath of fresh air, too. If you can, step outside. Count to ten out there. Breathe deeply. Feel the anxiety subside…

(Sitting next to the lake in Georgetown.)

And if you know your Creator, whisper to Him with your thanks and praise. If you don’t, talk to me.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

“…Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31 (NIV)

Marvel - ous!

(pinterest.com)

There’s a story in the Bible that always catches my attention, one that sends my brain into a tizzy of ponderings.


When you’re in the presence of someone you perceive to have greatness, there’s a secret longing in your heart to capture their attention, if only for a moment.


While at a Reba McIntire concert a few years back, my youngest son screamed out to her from the crowd at the foot of the stage, “I love you Reba!” To his great pleasure, she looked right at him, pointed and said, “I love you, too, darlin’!” For an instant, he had Reba McIntire’s attention. He’ll cherish the memory forever. Reba? Maybe not. She just doesn’t know the greatness of my son!


The Bible story (here) is one that most of us will quickly recall. Jesus was talking with a crowd of people when an unnamed Centurion approached Him, asking for healing for his servant. Jesus made Himself immediately available and said that He’d come heal the servant. The Centurion stopped the whole incident in an instant when he stated simply that he wasn’t worthy of the Master’s presence in His home, but that because of Jesus’s authority, His Word would be enough to heal the servant. 


What happened next? 
What was the reaction on Jesus’s face? 
Where did the conversation go after such a statement?


We don’t get to see the faces in the crowd, or of the disciples, but we can conjure up imagery of what splashed across the face of Jesus. The Bible tells us that He marveled.


Ponder that.


Jesus marveled. 

Jesus marveled over the faith of a believer. Other versions of the Bible say that Jesus was amazed, or that He was astonished, or taken aback; surprised.


We don’t have any record of this Centurion ever interacting with Jesus again. 

The story is brief, but always commands my attention, every single time I read it. How could I make Jesus marvel? What about my faith would cause amazement to rise up on His face?


What was it about this Centurion’s faith that allowed him to take Jesus at His Word?


We don’t read that he sat at the feet of Jesus, listening intently to every teaching He shared. We don’t have any other account of how this guy chose to believe on Jesus, but he clearly demonstrates faith like few of us have, or have even seen.


If we could grasp ahold of this, and simply believe, like the Centurion, we might just cause Jesus to marvel. And we’ll definitely see what we ask for come to pass, because this is the kind of faith Jesus is looking for. 

Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being sure of what we do not see. - Hebrews 11:1 (NIRV)


Who believes like this?

Apples and Apples and Revelation

(freshplaza.com)

Again, while praying and standing in the red-light booth at Planet Fitness, I found an analogy. This time, for revelation.

It’s really quite simple. I have an apple and I place it on the table between us. You take a picture of it from your side of the table, I take a picture of it from my side of the table. We trade phones and check out the pictures. It looks as though we’ve taken pictures of two different apples! Somehow, your picture shows a greener apple than mine. In my picture, the apple looks almost completely red. How can this be? (Not a fancy illustration or a difficult mystery to unravel, I know. God has to use simple points to ponder with me.)

 

Since it’s my apple, I pick it up and hand it to you. You examine the apple to see that, yes, it’s one apple that simply looks different from differing angles.

But, without holding the apple to see for yourself the magic of one apple displaying two different colors in appearance, you couldn’t have the revelation you needed to understand and unravel the mystery at hand.

Throughout life, there will be mysteries to unravel, many not quite this simple to solve. For understanding, we need revelation. And to know the truth of the matter, that revelation has to come from the One Who holds the answers, the owner of “the apple”. 

(pinterest.com)

‘God, I see what this mystery looks like from my human perspective, please show me how You see it.’

Is that too simple? That’s godly revelation. Perspective is everything, I’ve blogged about it many times. But, until we see things from God’s perspective, life can look to be too hard.

God doesn’t hide things from us, He hides things for us! He’ll show them to us when we’re ready to ask for the revelation. Sometimes we’re quite content to sit there with our puny human perspective, but why? There’s so much more to life! There’s so much more to every aspect of life than what first meets the eye.

“You have not, because you ask not.” – James 4:2

Ask God for revelation. He’s more than generous, 

He wants you to have the revelation.

Fruit Roll-ups

(fggam.org)

As I was praying over a dear friend this morning, God nudged my memory and I recalled having a discussion with a friend many years ago. This friend was feeling attacked by someone else we knew from church. An illustration came to mind about the precious Blood of Jesus.

This Blood is the only thing that can cleanse us from sin, it’s our “ticket to Heaven”. It provides a whole lot more for us, though. It provides for our every need. The Blood of Jesus fulfills every promise God made to us in His Word. It provides deliverance from spiritual afflictions, brings life to our spirit, gives us physical healing, protects us from the enemy and more.

Appropriating all the blessings this Blood provides is our job. Jesus did the work on the Cross that makes available the blessings of salvation, but it’s up to us to take those blessings and believe they are ours, to walk in them and to apply them to our lives.

If I buy you a brand-new car and drop the keys in your accepting hands, the car won’t do you a bit of good if you never put the key into the ignition, turn the key and drive off. You’ll still have the car, but I didn’t spend my money on a gift you refuse to use...

(choosingchia.com)

So, here’s my strange analogy. Way back when I got this revelation, Fruit Roll-ups were a new thing. Kids and adults alike seemed to love the fruity snack. Supposedly made of fruit juices (I have my doubts), they’re a sticky substance, rolled out into a flat sheet, then rolled up into a roll and packaged for convenience.

In my mind’s eye, I could see my grown friend lying on a huge, spread out Fruit Roll-up, then rolling over and over, folding the gummy, sticky substance over themselves until they were covered completely. To touch them, I’d have to poke through the Fruit Roll-up. Bizarre? Perhaps, but, the image was to illustrate that the Blood of Jesus completely covers us.  The enemy has to poke through the Blood to get to us.

Unlike the roll-up, the Blood of Jesus is strong. There’s nothing stronger. I can easily poke my finger through a roll-up. But though the enemy try repeatedly, he cannot break through the Blood of Jesus. That’s our permanent protection, promised and delivered by God, Himself.

We can feel beaten up and worn down by all the poking the enemy does to us, but he cannot get through.

When we stop spending time in God’s Word and talking with Him daily, we weaken, but the Blood of Jesus is still as strong as it was the day He poured it out for us. Even when we spend time with God, the enemy is still trying to poke through, but His Word encourages us and tells us the truth – that the enemy is lying to us, again.

We need to get it into our understanding that the enemy cannot take us out. If he could, he would have done so already. All he can do is lie to us, hoping to deceive us into believing we’re sick or oppressed or afraid or confused, etc.

Begin to praise God in the midst of your circumstance (and get back into His Word!), believe God. Then, laugh at the mess you thought you were in. God will show you your breakthrough as you praise Him, as you acknowledge His protection and promises fulfilled to you.

Complaining, whether internally or to others, about the negative garbage the enemy is throwing at you will only help it to stick to you.

(wccowboychurch.org)

Trust that bloody roll-up of Love, trust in God’s provision. He’s not a man that He should lie to you. (Numbers 23:19) He’s provided every single thing you need to live a prosperous life; to live life abundantly. That’s what He sent Jesus to do for you!

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus  Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." -Hebrews 13:20-21 (NKJV)

Tares in the Heart

“Your words water things,” our pastor said Sunday morning.

Immediately, I grabbed my little notebook and began to scribble. We plant so many seeds in the garden of our lives. But, others plant seeds there, as well.

Ultimately, it’s our garden. We get to determine what grows there, we choose what to tend to; what to water.

To which seeds, seedlings or towering trees are we giving our attention and energies?

In the Bible we read, “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while the men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.: - Matthew 13:24-26 (KJV)

This scripture came to mind, simply to enforce the point that other people, whether we know them and trust them, or not, plant seeds – good or bad, in our garden.

In this parable, it was the man’s enemy planting tares (a noxious weed) in with his wheat to mess with the man’s harvest.

Whether the person sowing weeds in our garden is an enemy, or a well-meaning friend, a parent, a boss or coworker, a pastor or a neighbor you meet in passing along the road – and whether they plant the weeds knowingly or not, weeds will spring up in our garden.

Seeds, weeds or good plants, are otherwise known as words and idea.

Which plants are getting our attention?

The weeds are symbolic of anything that would distract us from what God wants to do in our lives. He gave us life, when we’re born again, we give Him back our lives, to do with as He pleases. Because, what He pleases is, ultimately, what’s best for us; it’s where we’ll prosper and grow to be more and more like Him. It’s where we’ll feel content and joyful; even happiest.

The weeds are symbolic of the problems that come up in our lives; problems set to distract us from living.

Those distractions can be different for all of us, but there are many we face in common. Though I’ve yet to meet a father who’s been distracted by it, I know moms who suffer intensely because of the empty nest syndrome; sometimes to the point of despair. It can derail us and send us in search of a new identity.

Demands for super-performance at a job, or at school, or sicknesses, or losses – can all distract us from even knowing who we are, let alone what we’re supposed to be doing.

We’ve all heard a phrase that says something like, “Don’t tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your God is in the midst of them!”

Are we focusing on, (watering), giving our attention to – our problems, or to our God?

How do we refocus our attention?

Oh yeah; get our heads and hearts into God’s Word. What’s up with that? Do I think all of our answers are in there? You bet I do! I believe it with my whole heart.

Trust in the LORD with all of thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understand. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

(Picture from Victory 91.5)

Sitting at the Lake

(photo from dissolve.com)

Jesus looked more tangible to me today, more fleshed-out, as I read in Matthew, “That day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake…he got into a boat and sat in it…” -Matthew 13:1-2 (KJV)

Can’t you just picture a man who’s staying at a lake house, walking out the door, making his way down to the beach and sitting down beside the lake?

I don’t know what time of day it was, but from personal experience, walking out to the lake first thing in the morning, as the mist rises from the water, is magical. Sitting there, listening to the sounds of creation, watching birds dive into the water for their breakfast, smelling the pines – it all filled my happy tank to overflowing. 

(photo from newspring.cc)

When God created the first Garden, He created man to take care of it. Clearly, it meant a lot to Him, right? I mean, as you’re reading Genesis, that’s the only reason I’ve noted, that God states He created us for: to take care of what He’d created. He takes as much joy in nature as we do, maybe more!

So, yes, this man at the lake house, ventures out and sits by the lake. Don’t you wonder what was going through His mind? Was He thoroughly enjoying His physical senses as He sat there? Sometimes we need to be reminded to be mindful of where we are; I somehow doubt Jesus missed a thing.

In the first chapter of John, we read that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, the Word WAS God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men,” (verses 1-4 KJV)

(photo from pixabay.com)

Since Jesus is the Word, we can see that He is the One Who spoke everything into existence. I hardly think He sat there and thanked Himself, but rather, took in the beauty of what He’d created. (He really should have come to sit by a lake in Colorado! Ha! Who’s to say He hasn’t?)

For me, sitting there was about taking in what I saw, as well as thanking God for showing it to me, for allowing me to enjoy the breathtaking beauty, and be a part of it all.

Matthew doesn’t tell us how long Jesus sat there, but he does say that a crowd began to grow around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, then began to speak to them.

The very One Who spoke everything into existence was speaking to them! In the flesh, out loud in an audible voice, they could see and hear the very One Who’d created them.

(from pinterest.com)

For us, it’s an inner thing, an inner knowing that comes from the Word of God. Yes, our hearing comes from Jesus, Himself. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing from the word of God.” Romans 10:17 (KJV)

All of this, not to introduce you to what He was about to teach, but to introduce the notion that it was Jesus – the man, Who was speaking to them. The same Jesus Who speaks to your heart every single day, whether you’re paying attention or not.

Perhaps, by closing our eyes and imagining ourselves there with Him, by the lake, sitting at rest, taking it all in – we can hear Him a little more clearly. That opens us up to falling in love with Him, completely.

(from pinterst.com)