I know, I know…these two numbers, frequently and enthusiastically uttered by youngsters everywhere these days, may trigger adults to roll their eyes like teenagers and wail at the absurdity of it all. But for me, this combination of digits evokes a remembrance of PEACE, God’s peace, the peace we pause and contemplate this second week of Advent.
I can’t stop the echo of my granddaughters giggling as they chanted these numbers at any opportunity during their last visit here. Stay with me on this, I promise not to use those numbers again, at least for a little bit, but trust me, I think you will eventually agree these frustrating digits are very important at Christmas!
This week, as we look forward to the coming celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, we consider the promise of peace in His birth, life, death, and resurrection. It may feel as if this “peace” is in hiding some days. Life in general, personally/locally/nationally/worldwide, can often feel decidedly unpeaceful. Often, we have the wrong expectation of peace.
Peace is not always a lack of striving; it is not always the absence of chaos, and it may not always be found in silence.
In John 14:27, Jesus shares His peace is much more than these things…
”Peace I leave you; My peace I give to you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
A peace which enables us not to be troubled even in troubling times is difficult to grasp…it is the calmness in your heart when calamity rules the world around you. It is the assurance one feels knowing Who is in control when you feel most out of control. It is the deep anchoring of your soul when your surroundings press against you. At times it is hard to explain this seemingly unjustified peace, it can be beyond our comprehension….and here we are…brace yourself.
You see, when we feel most unpeaceful, anxious, downtrodden, discouraged, there is a verse that speaks to this….
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6&7
6&7…that battle waging in our heart…God says, “I’ve got this”. 6&7…unsettled uncertainty in things you can’t control…God says,”Bring it to Me.” 6&7…that war of worry weighing down your thoughts and robbing your joy…He offers a peace that will guard our hearts and minds.
Friends, may this week be filled with 6/7 reminders of God’s peace, gifted to us through the birth of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection would allow us forgiveness and a peace that surpasses comprehension.
“I have said these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
It was September and far from Thanksgiving, but for some odd reason, visions of the giant balloons in the Macy’s Parade kept floating through my head each night (pun intended). I had seen a video about the line handlers for balloons. While an interesting history of the tradition, I had never really considered the folks holding those lines. No doubt this is what started the dreams. My Macy’s parade balloon dreams included various balloons looming over a city, with only a few people straining at the lines to control them. By the third night of restless balloon-filled dreams, I began to put things in place. I had been feeling untethered lately. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with self-doubt, discouragement, and guilt. Oh, I am perfectly capable of breezing through days or weeks, without a care, one step in front of the other, doing life…but there are also days, weeks, seasons, when my mind veers into rabbit holes, drags me back to the weight of past choices, or shrouds my thoughts with hopelessness and anxiety concerning little and large aspects of my world. It is too easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of life.
Here is the thing, when conditions are perfect, it does not take many line handlers to maneuver the giant balloons…but because things can quickly become imperfect, numerous handlers are needed to keep parade attendants safe and the balloons secure and on track. That is me, that is my life…when things are going great, I do not feel the need to have help staying attached or on course. It is only when those life storms kick up that I begin to concern myself with to Whom or how I am anchored or tethered.
Who holds my lines? Where do I turn when anxious? When I feel I am losing myself, who do I trust to reel me back in…I will tell you that on my fourth night of restless sleep, when thoughts of parade balloons loomed overhead…I mentally focused on the handlers. I found myself thanking God for the people He has placed in my life who are my line handlers. Family, friends, and loved ones, who go through life with me and remind me of His blessings. I also realized I had placed lines in hands of people or things not worthy of them…I had allowed people or things to have control of parts of my life that were not healthy; I am learning to let them go. I also realized I had (once again) allowed the Word of God to fall from my daily life…I can literally feel myself handing God my most impactful “line” each time I read His words. I feel tethered again.
It is funny, but not at all surprising, to realize that as I sit to write my first advent post this year, it is only days before Thanksgiving and the Macy’s Day Parade! Those ballons are still in my thoughts and on my heart. These last few months I have be mindful of my lines…determined to stay tethered to the God of my Hope.
This first week of advent we stop and consider the HOPE we have in Jesus Christ. Though we may not deserve it, while we all are still sinners, He sent His son, Jesus Christ, who overcome death on our behalf that we may know forgiveness and grace and not eternal darkness. THIS is the lifeline God sent to us…THIS is the reason God will always be my ultimate line handler, the One who keeps me on course, safe from all manner of misguiding currents or storms. I am looking forward to the Macy’s parade this year, but now I will see it differently…those silly, floppy, wayward, comical balloons will forever be a reminder to check my lines and trust the God Who holds them.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” Romans 15:13
Yesterday, as I watched the sun setting, on the most holy of days for Christians, I could not help but think of how the day started…a sunrise service at a local fishing dock. The sky was beginning to glow. The sun’s appearance was imminent. As scriptures were read, messages shared and voices collectively sang hymns, I turned toward the boat ramp. A man in a pickup truck eased his trailered workboat down the ramp to begin his day. Respectful of the gathered crowd, and perhaps the Easter service as well, he motored slowly out into the marsh-lined waterway to begin his work. I turned my attention back to the service but could not stop thinking about that fisherman and a certain other fisherman, Peter, a follower of Jesus. Just after the resurrectionn of Christ, and even after witnessing the risen Savior themselves(twice!), many disciples did not know what to do next. Now What?…their next steps are relatable to many on our Eastern Shore…they went fishing!
The Bible recounts in John chapter 21, how Jesus once again appeared to his disciples as they were just off shore, fruitlessly casting their nets. He stood on the beach and called to them to cast their nets on the other side…the result was a haul too heavy to pull into the boat. When Peter realized it was Jesus on shore, he did not even wait for the others to row back, he jumped into the sea to get to Him. Peter surely loved Jesus, but perhaps his heart held guilt as well. Peter had, after all, denied knowing Jesus three times when Jesus was crucified. As Jesus sat on the shore with these fishermen/disciples, He turned to Peter and three different times asked him the same question, “Do you love Me?”. Each time Peter repilied, “Yes, Lord! You know I love you.” Each time Jesus gave Peter an action to show his love, “Tend my lambs”, “Shepherd My sheep”, “Tend My sheep”. I can imagine the lifting of Peter’s burden of guilt and shame…to profess his love three times after denying Him three times, to be given grace and a solid answer to their “Now What?” delimima. Jesus replaced Peter’s shame with grace and encouragement for how to live.
The sun rose. It was spectacular. My heart soared as I considered how blessed we are, how loved we are, and how thankful I am for the grace and forgiveness I know because of Jesus.
The sun rose again today…it is Monday. In the days to come, when the Easter service messages fade away, after the eggs have been found, the brunches consumed, and the family pictures posted, we may find ourselves a bit like Peter and the disciples…”Now What?” I feel mindful of the charge Jesus gave Peter that day…tend my lambs, shepherd my sheep, tend my sheep.
Now what? Care for others as He cares for us and give grace as we have ourselves been given.
Sorry to make a long post longer…just can not forget to post this
Here again is my Abigail…this memory will always take away my breath and fill my heart.
Abigail:
I’ve lost track of how many years ago it was, yet each Spring I can’t help but recall my introduction to Abigail. I was a high school science/Bible teacher for a small Christian school at the time. One of my students was a football sized young man named Nick. He worked for a local farmer who had offered him a young lamb to take home. Nick’s mom, apparently destined for sainthood, not only allowed him to bring the lamb home, but he got to keep it in his room! Early that Spring Nick brought photos to share. To my amazement, there, wedged beside his bed and amid typical teenage squalor, was a carefully built pen, complete with wood rails, chicken wire and hay. Abigail the lamb had found a perfect home. Over the next few weeks Nick would have numerous stories to tell of Abigail’s antics. I couldn’t wait to see her for myself, so I invited Nick to bring her to school one morning.
I ushered my entire class outside and we waited like giddy preschoolers for Abigail’s arrival. I am certain I will never be able to adequately describe what I saw that day. I will do my best. We watched as Nick emerged from his vehicle with Abigail cradled in his big burly arms. We stood transfixed by the sight of what can only be inadequately referred to as “precious”. Her pure, white coat seemed almost translucent, radiating light under the bright blue, cloudless sky. Her tiny nose was a perfect, pink velvet triangle perched just above her little pink mouth. As I placed my hand on her sweet little head, she looked at me. I found myself staring into the depths of clear, brilliant blue eyes. I realized I had been holding my breath in awe. We were expecting to see a cute lamb, somewhat off white in color. I had not considered that, unlike the lambs at the local petting zoo, Abigail had been living in a clean, loving, environment. After everyone had made Abigail’s acquaintance, Nick left to return her home and we settled back into Bible class.
We soon realized the relevance of Abigail’s visit as we continued our study of Passover. The original Passover took place when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt. God instructed them to mark their door post with the blood of a male lamb. This was to protect them from the final plague which was the death of all first born in any home not so protected. (Exodus 11&12) The yearly commemoration of this event required the father to select the best, blemish free lamb and set it apart for the Passover…four days prior to the celebration. My students and I began to consider something quite startling. There was a good chance that the lamb would have been brought into the house or yard during that time. This perfect little lamb, probably as precious and sweet as our Abigail, may have clamored under their feet while they did chores, fed out of their hands and shared a living area. After four days, this lamb, which by now had become even more precious to the family, was to be sacrificed. Suddenly one can imagine the cries of the children, the quite sob of their mother, the sorrow in the eyes of the father who knows a blood sacrifice is required. For the first time, since meeting Abigail, we could truly envision the “sacrificial lamb” of the Scriptures.
The continued observance of Passover was a powerful object lesson for generations of Israelites. Every family member would be reminded not only of God’s protection and provision when He freed them from slavery, but also of the cost…the blood of their most precious lamb. This Easter we consider the final sacrifice. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, perfect and precious beyond description, was sacrificed for our sin. Many movies and videos have stirred the heart of man as they depict the brutal crucifixion of our Christ, yet none can compare to the vision of Abigail. As we celebrate our freedom from sin and death through the resurrection of our Lord, let’s never forget the cost. Praise God His love and grace make us worthy of such a sacrifice!
1 Peter 1:18-19
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold…but with precious blood, as a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
As we consider the advent theme of love, my thoughts are on a helpful communication technique shared with us years ago. When you are talking through a challenging conversation, or working through disagreements…after someone has spoken, before responding, repeat back to them what you heard them say. Pausing to truly understand what was said, and to seek clarity before you respond is valuable.
The proposed conversation structure looked like this:
Person #1 shares thoughts or concern.
Perso n#2 then says, “what I just heard you say was……”
Person #1 affirms that was the intended meaning of their words, or they can course correct and clarify.
To be honest, we seldom applied this technique, our contentious or emotional conversations rarely played out so orderly…but we did find a place for it in our everyday life.
Scott: Hun, why do you always cook the scrambled eggs to death?
Me: What I just heard you say was…You want to make breakfast yourself every day?
We may joke about it, but the reality is that we do need to be mindful of our communication. Clear communication is never more important than when we want to communicate love.
When my husband takes care of our vehicles, I hear “I love you.” When he tends the yard and helps clean the house, I hear “I love you.” When he takes the dog out on cold rainy days so I can stay warm and dry inside, I hear “I love you.”
When I try to not make us late to events (a challenge because I tend to dilly dally), he hears “I love you.” When I keep the home orderly and support his work, he hears “I love you.” When I make him breakfast, even though the eggs are “cooked to death,” he hears “I love you”.
Love manifested toward us is hard to miss…it is shown…it is felt…it changes things…it is LOUD and CLEAR…this is the love God revealed to us in the birth of Jesus. In a humble barn, on a silent night pierced by the cry of a baby, wrapped in cloth and laid in a manger, God said, “I LOVE YOU!” Loud and Clear. Do you hear it?
“In this is the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be propitiation(atonement) for our sins.” 1John 4:9-10
Lord, what I just heard you say was…. “I love you!”
May this week be filled with constant reminders of how deeply loved you are by God.
The advent theme JOY is perhaps my favorite of the advent themes. I probably should not have a favorite; they are all pivotal moments in our remembrance of why we celebrate the birth of Jesus. I just love that JOY is not seasonal or situational. Joy does not require me or my circumstances to be perfect or perfectly happy.
I like this explanation: Joy is a lasting emotion that comes from the choice to trust that God will fulfill His promises.
Joy is a gift for any heart in knowing God has provided a way, just as He promised, for all of us to be reconciled to Him. This is the “good news of a GREAT JOY which shall be for ALL the people”, proclaimed to those shepherds in Luke 2:10
I have a renewed understanding of this explanation of joy.
We had some young adult guests in our home the other evening. A few of them noticed a framed photo on our wall, a gift from my daughter. It was taken in 1984, the night before we were married. We were just kids, one month from turning twenty, and unable to imagine the future we would share. In wonder they said, “Wow, that is a long time, you must be very happy.” At that exact moment, I was indeed very happy. I am blessed to share love and life with Scott. We have had a ton of happiness. But I also know our journey has had plenty of unhappy times. Afterall, we are imperfect people navigating life in an imperfect world. In our lives, happiness is wonderful, but it is not what matters most.
What fills the heart, encourages grace, propels us through hard times, comforts, gives us confidence, and allows us to love one another every day is this: We share a lasting emotion that comes from our choice to trust the promise we made to one another that day in 1984.
Choosing to trust God in all things, knowing He has done and will do all He has promised, is a deeply planted seed of joy that will sustain you in all your days. May this week be filled with joy, not just the happy sights and sounds of Christmas time, but the deep-down joy of knowing God fulfills His promises.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
This week of advent, Peace, has been a gentle reminder of the profound peace offered to us by God. A gift that stands out amidst the clutter and chaos and waits to be opened.
Recently a friend shared a conversation she had with her husband. Apparently, he had a history of questionable gifting. This year she decided to give him some not so vague guidance for his efforts. It was a lighthearted story, but I also recognized that this small communication was actually quite huge. Instead of letting herself grow hurt or disappointed in his gift, she was honest with him. It is not that material things are of importance, but being able to communicate even in the little things matters.
Too often in the earlier years of our marriage I kept my husband in the dark. Perhaps due to my exposure through magazines, TV, movies and books which glorified grand gestures, thoughtful gifts or met expectations that all happened spontaneously, without being discussed…. I somehow expected my poor hubby to just KNOW what was on my mind, what I expected, what I needed. God bless him for navigating that landmine filled time in our lives. He was literally living in a hit or miss reality, guessing what I wanted or needed him to do or say at any time. Learning to communicate in a healthy way has made all the difference in our lives.
Communication brings us into a closer relationship
A closer relationship brings confidence
Confidence creates trust
Trust brings peace of mind and heart
Honest communication can be hard even in the best relationships. Sharing our thoughts, needs, burdens or hopes, and listening with care to those of others, can be a very vulnerable endeavor. I have come to realize prayer is this kind of communication. Oh, God doesn’t need me to tell Him my thoughts, needs, burdens or hopes…He knows my heart, He created my mind…but prayer is the communication that brings peace.
Communicating with God leads to communion (a close relationship) with Him
Communion with God brings confidence
Confidence creates trust…and when we truly trust in Him we know peace.
Prayer is not fancy words, it is not a “wish list”, it is communicating your heart with a God who loves you and wants a relationship with you.
Prayer is the gift wrapping that opens our hearts to God’s gift of peace!
May we all, through prayer, unwrap the peace that comes from knowing Him, and in knowing Him, confidently trusting Him.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ.” Phil 4:6&6 (NLT)
I am amazed it is already December, but I am ready for it! I love all the “things”…baking, gifting, making, sharing, singing,serving…but my favorite things continue to be the quiet morning, still night and mid-day pause when thoughts and hearts turn intentionally toward the reason for the celebration. In some homes a candle is lit for each of the advent themes. This week let us remeber our Hope in Jesus Christ.
I squinted my eyes in the darkened hotel room. What is that light? I was desperate to get to sleep early as we planned to get back on the road before sunrise. Normally, I am a champion sleeper. My husband says it’s my superpower. Deep, snore filled, sleep falls on me with the grace of a well-trained fighter pilot landing a plane on an aircraft…and apparently just about as loud. But not this night. This night I became hyper focused on a tiny light on the ceiling that seemed to scatter brightness all around the room. The one small window was shielded with thick shades and drapes. Illuminating sources, like digital alarm clocks or charging phones, were covered with hand towels. Darkness should have prevailed, but it did not. No effort to create a darkened room could overcome the impact of the tiniest bit of light emanating from a smoke detector on the ceiling. That tiny indicator light was loudly proclaiming “I am here, I am working on your behalf” 24/7.
I’ve thought about that light recently. I actually have a similarly placed detector in my room at home. Some things I noticed. 1) In the light of day, the tiny indicator light is barely noticeable. It is obviously still there, a silent sentry guarding my home. 2) At home I am acclimated to sleeping with moonlight seeping through cracks in the drapes, a bathroom nightlight and all our electronics with LED displays…in the darkness these lights are comforting. The smoke detector indicator light seems to fade away. 3) No matter my awareness of it, it is still there…always proclaiming, “I am here, I am working on your behalf.”
As I lay in bed last night, the advent theme of HOPE on my mind, my eyes drifted up toward the tiny light on our ceiling. When it is light, it is difficult to see it. The darker the surroundings, the more impactful it is. It does not need to be bigger or brighter. It only needs to exist, ready to share its light and proclaim, “I am here, I am working on your behalf”.
I think this is a lot like the HOPE we have through knowing God loves us. Though we may not deserve it, while we all are still sinners, He sent His son (Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas) to walk among men, glorify His Father in all He did, to die and overcome death on our behalf that we may know forgiveness and grace and not eternal darkness.
He is a light unto the world. He proclaims to us, “I am here, I am working on your behalf” in our lightest days or darkest hours. My HOPE is in Him alone…when people, circumstances, or nations unsettle my heart, I will think of that tiny smoke detector light and remember… Darkness will not prevail, He is still here and working on our behalf.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
In a sermon last week our pastor said, “Don’t rush to the cross.” Out of context, this seems contrary to the “run to the cross” to find God, forgivenss and grace message. But this message was a reminder that sometimes we get in a hurry to celebrate the resurection of Christ, and we miss the important, and necessary, events that take us to that day. This has settled in my heart this week. I am guilty of rushing excitedly, like a child released into an Easter egg hunt field, to gleefully embrace the celebration of Easter, Resurection Day! But the days leading to the cross now sit deep in my thoughts. Today my three granddaughters left after visiting us for a few days. The days were filled with glorious chaos and when they left it was startling how quiet and still the house became. I let out a breath I did not even realize I was holding. Was that first Easter like that? From chaos to stillness…a breath holding pause most did not even know they held. A closed tomb….a waiting world. Here again is my Abigail…this memory will always take away my breath and fill my heart.
Abigail:
I’ve lost track of how many years ago it was, yet each Spring I can’t help but recall my introduction to Abigail. I was a high school science/Bible teacher for a small Christian school at the time. One of my students was a football sized young man named Nick. He worked for a local farmer who had offered him a young lamb to take home. Nick’s mom, apparently destined for sainthood, not only allowed him to bring the lamb home, but he got to keep it in his room! Early that Spring Nick brought photos to share. To my amazement, there, wedged beside his bed and amid typical teenage squalor, was a carefully built pen, complete with wood rails, chicken wire and hay. Abigail the lamb had found a perfect home. Over the next few weeks Nick would have numerous stories to tell of Abigail’s antics. I couldn’t wait to see her for myself, so I invited Nick to bring her to school one morning.
I ushered my entire class outside and we waited like giddy preschoolers for Abigail’s arrival. I am certain I will never be able to adequately describe what I saw that day. I will do my best. We watched as Nick emerged from his vehicle with Abigail cradled in his big burly arms. We stood transfixed by the sight of what can only be inadequately referred to as “precious”. Her pure, white coat seemed almost translucent, radiating light under the bright blue, cloudless sky. Her tiny nose was a perfect, pink velvet triangle perched just above her little pink mouth. As I placed my hand on her sweet little head, she looked at me. I found myself staring into the depths of clear, brilliant blue eyes. I realized I had been holding my breath in awe. We were expecting to see a cute lamb, somewhat off white in color. I had not considered that, unlike the lambs at the local petting zoo, Abigail had been living in a clean, loving, environment. After everyone had made Abigail’s acquaintance, Nick left to return her home and we settled back into Bible class.
We soon realized the relevance of Abigail’s visit as we continued our study of Passover. The original Passover took place when Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt. God instructed them to mark their door post with the blood of a male lamb. This was to protect them from the final plague which was the death of all first born in any home not so protected. (Exodus 11&12) The yearly commemoration of this event required the father to select the best, blemish free lamb and set it apart for the Passover…four days prior to the celebration. My students and I began to consider something quite startling. There was a good chance that the lamb would have been brought into the house or yard during that time. This perfect little lamb, probably as precious and sweet as our Abigail, may have clamored under their feet while they did chores, fed out of their hands and shared a living area. After four days, this lamb, which by now had become even more precious to the family, was to be sacrificed. Suddenly one can imagine the cries of the children, the quite sob of their mother, the sorrow in the eyes of the father who knows a blood sacrifice is required. For the first time, since meeting Abigail, we could truly envision the “sacrificial lamb” of the Scriptures.
The continued observance of Passover was a powerful object lesson for generations of Israelites. Every family member would be reminded not only of God’s protection and provision when He freed them from slavery, but also of the cost…the blood of their most precious lamb. This Easter we consider the final sacrifice. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, perfect and precious beyond description, was sacrificed for our sin. Many movies and videos have stirred the heart of man as they depict the brutal crucifixion of our Christ, yet none can compare to the vision of Abigail. As we celebrate our freedom from sin and death through the resurrection of our Lord, let’s never forget the cost. Praise God His love and grace make us worthy of such a sacrifice!
1 Peter 1:18-19
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold…but with precious blood, as a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
Tuesday With Teri 