Some people go bowling on Friday nights. Some go to the movies. Some just hang out at home. And some pay to have themselves locked in a room, where they work out the solutions to mind-bending puzzles that will allow them to escape, winning nothing but their freedom and bragging rights. I found myself in this latter group a few weeks ago.

I so wanted to see the “escape room” concept as some kind of an analogy to life, but I kept coming up empty. It wasn’t until two days later, as I heard Pastor David speaking to the youth group about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, explaining how our lives should “line up” with Jesus’ message that the light bulb went on…

In our pirate-themed escape room, we were trying to find the hidden treasure. One of the boxes we unlocked had a sword in it, and later, we unlocked another box that fit the description of where the sword should be placed. It had to be oriented just right, and when it was, a basket with another clue dropped from the ceiling.

So, I had a picture of being “lined up.” When the sword was lined up the way it was supposed to be, it brought us what we needed. When our lives are lined up the way God has designed, it opens up a door for what we need, His blessing and His presence. Let’s think about that some more…

First of all, there is the big change, the big lining up with God through Jesus. We can’t get there on our own, but Jesus has made it possible for us to get right with God. That changes everything, including us.

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” Romans 5:1-2 NLT

“Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” Titus 3:7 NLT

This “making right” is called justification in other translations of the Bible. It is what Jesus accomplished for us by His death. He made it possible for us to “line up” with God, something we were incapable of doing without Him because of our sin. These verses list just a few of the good things that happen when we line up with God through Jesus: we have peace with God, we are able to share God’s glory, we are confident that we will inherit eternal life.

That sword we had in the escape room had to be in just the right position to allow us to reach the clue. The thing about us, is that once we get on the path, right with God and following Jesus, it is so easy to stray, to get turned around a bit, and to lose that orientation. We are often in need of turning, turning back to where we need to be, where we can see Jesus.

A famous hymn says, “Lord, my heart is prone to wander, prone to leave the God I love.”

Peter described this by quoting a sheep analogy from the writings of the prophet Isaiah. “For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” I Peter 2:25 NIV

And read these words penned by the prophet Isaiah, and later quoted by Jesus and then by Paul,
“He said, ‘Go and tell this people: Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.’ ” Isaiah 6:10 and see Matthew 13:15, Acts 28:27

May we be the opposite of that description! May we hear and understand, see and perceive, with a soft hearts, open ears and open eyes. May we see and hear and understand and TURN and be healed.

“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.” Psalm 85:8

There is a turning back, looking at Jesus, listening to God, getting back in line with Him that happens over and over in our lives. When that happens, God speaks peace to us. It opens the door to His presence and His blessing. It brings light to our dark places.

This is a heart event, but it starts with an internal movement of our thoughts. We make a conscious decision to direct our thoughts, our focus to Jesus. We regain eternal perspective and choose to let go of things that keep us from connecting with God. The more often we spend time with God, the more easily we realize we are in need of turning, and the more willing we will be to turn. This is why meeting together for worship and regularly spending time reading God’s Word and praying is so vital. It helps keep us where we need to be or encourages us to reach out and let Jesus bring us back to where we need to be.

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” Psalm 34:5 ESV

When you wonder where the answers are, when you feel like things are dark. when you feel frustrated and non-radiant, look to Jesus. Line back up so you can see Him. Turn your heart. Just like that first big lining up, it will change everything, including you.

God, we need You. We were designed to look to You. Help us to have open eyes, hearing ears, soft and understanding hearts. Help us to turn to You. We need You to provide for us, to set us free, to give us peace and to make us shine. Point us to Jesus, we pray. Amen.

“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT

-Leah

 

Tragedy. Grieving. Right now, in my world, they feel almost tangible.

Last Friday morning, on her way to work, Angie, a 39-year-old mother of four boys, lost her life in a car accident. In an instant so many lives were stopped in their tracks, worlds turned upside down, hearts broken. We live in communities of large families and tight connections, so this tragedy really did seem to touch everyone. We ourselves are shocked and grieving, and our hearts break even more as we feel the grief of her husband and boys, her siblings and parents, her close friends. Her funeral is today.

Today, January 17th, also marks two years since Owen Weaver passed away. Did you know Owen? Our “small town superhero”? Contagious smile and real joy despite physical handicaps. It has been two years, but the grief is still very present. Especially for his family, forever changed by his presence and every day feeling his absence.

It doesn’t take much looking around to find difficulty and heartache. We have it in our own circles: devastating illnesses, ongoing fights against addiction, and all sorts of troubles of varying degrees, but all with their own kinds of pain. These things are hard! Hard for us to deal with in our own lives, and hard as we try to comfort others. So many times we don’t know how to act or what to say, especially in the face of great tragedy and sorrow like Angie’s family and the Weaver family are experiencing. We want to communicate our care, but we are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, of somehow making the pain worse.

I am not an expert at any of this, but I have learned that it is better to acknowledge the pain in others than to ignore it because of our fear of messing up. Often it is as simple as following Paul’s advice from Romans 12:15, “…weep with those who weep.”

Today I weep with those who are weeping for Angie and her family. I weep with those who are so deeply missing Owen, especially his family.

And as I weep, I look to Jesus for comfort. The Bible tells us that He wept (John 11:35). He wept over the death of His friend, Lazarus.

Read the story…
“On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.’
Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’
Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’
Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied, ‘I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.’
After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. ‘The Teacher is here,’ she said, ‘and is asking for you.’
When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.
Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.
When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked.
‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied.
Jesus wept.”
John 11:17-35

My sister pointed out to me a few months ago, that Mary, the one who had loved sitting at Jesus’ feet, stayed home instead of going out to meet him like her sister. Martha went to him, but Mary stayed home. In our grief, we have different reactions. Some of us are quick to go to Jesus, ready to be with Him, even though we don’t understand why He didn’t do what we know He could have done to fix things and prevent all this pain we are feeling. Some of us stay home. In our grief and suffering, we just can’t go there. Look what Jesus did. He called for Mary. Martha told her, “The Teacher is here, and is asking for you.”

Jesus promised His disciples later in the book of John, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:18 KJV)

Psalm 34 tells us, “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 CSB)

Real hope, real comfort, real healing is found in Jesus. It’s OK to ask why-Martha did. Mary did. Even Jesus did. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46 CSB) We are told he cried this out with a loud voice.

Death hurts. Pain can be blinding and stop us in our tracks. We don’t understand, and we often feel betrayed and angry.

Right in the middle of all that, the Lord is near, and He is calling. He feels our pain, like He felt Mary and Martha’s pain. He weeps. He comforts. And one more thing, He promises glory if we will just believe.

After He wept with Martha and Mary, we know that He called Lazarus back to life. He is the resurrection and the life. He said to Martha in John 11:40, “Did not I tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Yes, Jesus raising Lazarus from death was glory. We don’t get that same miraculous, right now happy ending in many of our losses, but, if we believe, we will see glory. It might take a long time to get there, but it will be worth it.

When tragedy strikes, when life hurts, go to Jesus, let Him be near. Bring your questions. Believe.

God, we hurt. We weep. We need You to be near with Your comfort. Please help us in our grief to hear you calling us out of our house. You want to weep with us and speak to us and show us Your glory. I pray that You would be present in a beautiful and powerful way with those who are today experiencing such heavy grief. I pray that You would show us how to care for them. We cry out with the praying father in Mark 9:24, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!'” We believe. Help our unbelief. Our prayers are in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

-Leah

Imperfect parents. We all have them. No one has parents who have gotten everything perfectly right. Why is it that we tend to fixate on the imperfections instead of choosing to be grateful for the abundance of things that they did get right? Perhaps the greatest place of influence in most of our lives belongs to the two people who invested their time and energy into raising us. 

As I have pondered this, I realize that who I am today is a direct result of the character and influence of the two people in that picture – Dave and Judy Garrison, my parents. Their values, their traits, their quirks are all part of me. Some of the greatest gifts in my life are things that I learned from them. I’d love to take this opportunity to share a few of those things with you.

My Dad

Oh, how I love this guy. I have been a daddy’s girl since I can remember. If I can be even a little bit like him, that makes my heart happy. He is courageous, kind, and quietly strong. Here are some of the lessons I have learned from my dad –

Be faithful to your family. I never doubted that my dad loves my sister and me. I never doubted that he loves my mom. He has been present, and he has been faithful to our family. When we were growing up, he worked hard, but he also made time for us. As I’ve gotten older and gained some life experience, I realize that this is a priceless gift that not everyone receives. I’m thankful for this example.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” (Ephesians 5:25)

Trust God, and persevere. My dad has been through a lot. He came from a broken home, he was diagnosed with leukemia in his 40’s, he had a high-risk bone marrow transplant, he has ongoing issues with his lungs, he had open heart surgery two days in a row, and he struggles with neuropathy and spinal stenosis. I have never heard him use any of those things as an excuse to be bitter or angry. He perseveres and usually does so with a positive attitude. He trusts God to take care of him in a way that is inspirational to me. 

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Be tactful and diplomatic. This is one of my dad’s trademarks. He is skilled at expressing his ideas in a way that is not confrontational or offensive. He listens, and he is reasonable. He is able to share his beliefs and opinions with others in a way that does not belittle them or put them off. He is a peacemaker. 

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18)

My Mom

I often tell the young ladies in our church, “No one on this earth loves you as much as your mom loves you.” Think about that. It’s true. My mom and I haven’t always seen eye to eye, but I know in my heart that no one else in this world loves me the way she does. She is my biggest fan, and there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for me. Here are some lessons I have learned from my mom –

Laughter is the best medicine. If you’ve ever met this precious lady, you’ve surely heard one of her jokes. I can’t remember a time when she wasn’t on the hunt for a new joke to tell. It’s her way of bringing joy to others. If you laugh at one of her jokes, you’re sure to hear another one. She loves to make people laugh. I can remember one time on a vacation, my sister made a joke about someone’s zipper being afraid of heights. My mom hadn’t heard that before, and she spent hours laughing. She laughed and laughed. In our family, we all give the customary groan when she’s about to launch into a new joke, but the truth is, she has taught us all something about the value of joy and laughter.

“A joyful heart is like good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)

It is better to give than to receive. My mom is a giver. If you have a need and she has a way to help meet that need, she certainly will. She gives sacrificially, and she gives without regret. Her life is marked by generosity. 

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'”. (Acts 20:35)

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Good leaders are good readers. Both my sister and I are avid readers, and we owe that to my mom. From my earliest memories, she read to us and instilled in us a love for reading. Having spent 18 years in the public school system, I have gained such an appreciation for that because I have seen the struggles in learning that come from an environment that lacks this emphasis. The latest NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) Reading scores indicate that only 35% of the nation’s 4th graders are able to read at a proficient level. It’s a frightening statistic. I’m grateful that I had a mom who taught me to love to read. 

My Parents

Individually, both my dad and my mom have influenced the person I am becoming. The impact they have made together also can’t be ignored. They are a team, and they have taught these lessons together –

Love God, and love others. My parents love God, and my parents love others. They taught us to love God’s Word, to love His church, and to be compassionate toward others. Yes, there are things we disagree about, but I know that their faith is genuine because of their actions. I’m thankful to have grown up with a strong foundation in the Word of God and with an understanding that true faith is accompanied by action.

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:15-18)

Marriage is a lifetime commitment. My parents celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary last year. I’m so grateful for their commitment to each other. It hasn’t always been easy, but they have been there for each other through the good and bad. By God’s grace, they have kept their promises to Him and to each other. 

“‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” (Mark 10:7-8)

There’s always room for one more. When we were growing up, this was my parents’ motto. They opened their home to many people who lived with us, and they invested in those people. They understand that what they have isn’t their own, and they have always been willing to share. 

“‘Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.'” (Luke 6:38)

These are my parents. I’m so glad that God chose them for that task. I wish I could say that I have always honored them the way I should, but that wouldn’t be true. I also wish I could say that I’ve always been a pleasure to have as a daughter, but that wouldn’t be true either. What I can say is that I love them so much. I love them in spite of their imperfections, and I’m learning that they always did what they thought was best, even if they didn’t always get it right. 

Mom and Dad, thank you for these lessons you’ve taught me. Thank you for loving me completely even when I wasn’t very lovable. Thank you for the sacrifices you made, for the time you invested, for the truths you’ve modeled. Thank you for loving God and loving others well. I am so honored to be your daughter.

Dear Father, thank You for my parents. Thank You that You chose them as part of Your perfect plan to be the ones to raise me. Forgive me for spending too much time pondering the things that I think they should have done differently and for not always choosing to see the things they did so well. Forgive me also for not always being the daughter that I should be. My heart is so thankful for these parents of mine who love You and who love others. May their influence in my life produce good fruit, and may I keep learning from their example. Amen.

-Dana

What does a 16 year old girl do when her parents take her to hang out with family friends in a cabin without cell service or wi-fi?  With no other teenage girls?  It probably depends on the girl, but if it is Lisa, she joins right in, playing cards and board games, playing in the snow, and even participating in laser gun wars.  But when she finds out her dad is heading to town on an errand, she gives him her phone to take with him and asks him to “do her streaks.”  Being the mother of teenagers, I am familiar with streaks.  If you aren’t, here’s an old-lady explanation:  as best I can figure, streaks are records for keeping in contact through social media.  You send and receive a message of some kind every day and watch to see how long you can go without missing.  One of my boys had a 200+ long streak. The messages don’t have to be long or even interesting.  Sometimes they might just be a scribbled “S,” (which stands for “streak” if you were wondering).  The important thing is to keep on sending and receiving them.

It is a new year.  Many of us have been thinking about the things we want to do better in 2020.  One of the biggest difficulties with healthy habits is keeping them going, being consistent.  Have you ever tried to do something every day?  It is a challenge.

I have been thinking about that concept of “daily.”  The prayer Jesus taught to His disciples includes a request that God give us “our daily bread.”

“Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.  Give us each day our daily bread.  Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. …”  Luke 11:2-4

I have heard those words way more times than I can count, but it wasn’t until I was listening to one of Pastor David’s sermons last year that I made the connection between “daily bread” and the manna that God provided for the Israelites.

Remember, when they were traveling around in the desert, a place where finding food could be challenging, God provided this mysterious food substance every day, “daily bread”.  “The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin.  The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar.  They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves.  And it tasted like something made with olive oil.  When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.”  Numbers 11:7-9  It was miraculous.  It was nourishing.  It was daily.  After a while though, the Israelites got tired of the daily manna.  You might say it became more of a daily grind than a daily miracle.  They wanted something else, and they complained.  Numbers 11 tells us about this.  Let me summarize by saying that they got what they wanted, but it didn’t really turn out to be a good thing.

I see some parallels to our lives.  Jesus said we should ask for “daily bread.”  He also said that “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  (Matthew 4: 4).  He compared himself to the manna that God provided for the Israelites.  “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’” (John 6:32-33).

Jesus is the bread of life, the Word of God.  He is what we need to live and be nourished.  Connecting to Jesus is like manna.  It is miraculous.  It is nourishing.  It can be daily.  Jumping back to the Lord’s prayer, it seems like maybe it should be daily.  “Give us this day our daily bread.”

How often do we forget how truly amazing the opportunity to spend time with Jesus is?  How often does it become more of a daily grind than a daily miracle?  Guess what?  That’s human nature.  I love something C.S. Lewis said about starting with duty and changing to desire. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the actual quote, but his point was that the exercise of a healthy spiritual habit leads to a changed heart, a heart that delights in the habit as an act of love for God.  I have struggled over the years with whether daily devotional time should be on my “to do list.”  I don’t want it to be a motion that I go through, devoid of meaning.  On the other hand, it is important to me to consistently spend time with Jesus, and if it isn’t planned, there is a lot lower likelihood that it will happen.

The streaks idea struck me-I am just keeping my streaks with Jesus!  Part of it is the consistency and the daily, but underneath is the desire for connection.  I am building a foundation for that all-the-time togetherness that I have referenced before, like Brother Lawrence the 3^rd century monk whose writings inspired Practicing the Presence of God.”

My challenge to you is to get into the habit of daily connection with Jesus, even if it is brief.  Use a short devotional, sit for 5 minutes of prayer, read a Bible passage, dedicate your morning commute-you choose what seems like it will work best.  (The YouVersion Bible app will even count streaks for you!) And don’t give up if you lose your streak.  It’s OK to start over.  Remember the verse from Lamentations?

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23

That’s the awesome thing about God-He never loses His streaks.  He is always connecting.

Happy New Year!

God, thank You for the amazing opportunity to connect with You.  Thanks that You have promised that when we seek You, we will find You.  When we call, You always hear and answer.  You are what keeps us going; You are our daily bread.  Please give us the desire to meet You every day.  Help us to be intentional about setting aside time for You.  Speak to us and enlighten us.  Change us.  Make us like Jesus.  Thank You for Your consistency, that You never forget or get too busy to be with us.  We pray in the name of Jesus today and every day.  Amen.

– Leah