Unity and the Hard-Headed Race

In a time when people are divided by race, religion, gender, politics, (just to name a few) it appears that we've lost our call as Christians to be unified.  Instead, we quarrel with one another, among denominations, and between Protestants and Catholics.  We act as if fellow followers of Jesus are the enemy. 

Let me caution you.  Satan is the enemy.  Never forget that. 

Here are just a few scriptures to consider.  

Ephesians 4 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Romans 12  Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. ¹⁷ Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Philippians 2  Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, ² make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

The problem of divisiveness is nothing new.  Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, "So there is nothing new under the sun."   The human race has always been hard-headed. 

If we struggle with unity, perhaps it's because we are hard-headed in always feeling right.  One of the most beautiful signs of maturity is the ability to admit when you are wrong, or that you just might be wrong, or that you might entertain the notion of being wrong from time to time.  In my opinion, stubbornness is a sure sign of immaturity.  Feeling as if you are always right is also a sure way of turning people against you.  I desire a humbleness that reflects Jesus. 

My soul is a work in progress.  My knowledge of the scriptures today is deeper than it was just yesterday.  I also know that if the Lord allows me more years on this earth, I pray that I am wiser in the future than I have been in the past, or even now.

John and I ran into some serious marriage problems years ago.  During that time we just LOVED to focus on the things that we didn't like about one another.  We like to get in little jabs about the things on which we disagreed.  Our focus was always on the negative aspects of our relationship.  

In counseling we learned that until we focused on the things that unify us, not divide us, our marriage was doomed to fail.  We still disagree from time to time, but our focus is on what binds us together, not what pulls us apart.  

I wonder what our world would be like if Christians did the same?  

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland is a historical figure that plays a role in my upcoming novel series, "Echo in the Veil".  This Catholic Queen desired that believers in Scotland be able to worship their God without fear of the monarchy and rulers.  She disagreed with some of the Protestant beliefs, but instead of being divisive she chose to use a more Godly method....Love.  

History records that my beloved Mary was not successful in her endeavor of peace and she was eventually killed by the Protestant Queen of England, Elizabeth I.  Some within the Catholic and Protestant faith simply refused to go without shedding someone's blood over their differences.  They chose death over life.  They chose hate over love. 

There is a lot I do not know and do not understand.  When those things are revealed and I question what I should think or do, I always go back to what Jesus said was important.  Love God.  Love others.  Mark 12:30-31  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.

There is no commandment greater than these.  Love is the filter that works every time, without fail.  When I can focus on love, everything falls into the gentle shadow of grace and PRAISE GOD it covers my enormous lack of knowledge.  

I Peter 4:8  Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

What filter will you use?  How will you choose to treat those with whom you disagree? 

Scriptures from New American Standard Bible

The Common Denominator In Drama

How I wish I had realized this years ago. I used to find myself immersed in drama. It revolved around other people's chaotic lives, but I was always the one drowning in a sea of drama and conflict. 

By the grace of God I looked back and realized the common denominator was me. I was choosing to participate. 

This albatross around my neck only released when I began the discipline of meditation and silent prayer. The vibration of my life changed. I was no longer wound tight, waiting on someone to pluck my emotional strings. I found peace. 

Very recently I was tempted to fall back into the old pattern. It seemed the right thing to do, but I stopped, prayed, meditated on His word, and became still again.  Peace returned. 

I know it will happen again. I will be tempted to join in the chaotic drama again. May God have mercy on me and guide me to be able to step back, be still, and know. 

It was a normal Tuesday and then it wasn't.

On Tuesdays I met with a group of friends-Susy, Leanna, Debra- for coffee, talk and prayer. After getting the kids to school,  I had taken a shower and was drying my hair, getting ready for my normal Tuesday routine.  The morning news was on in the living room and I could see it in the reflection of the bathroom mirror.  Something was on fire -odd I thought-but I didn't stop drying my hair.  The hum of the hair dryer drowned out the crew of "Good Morning America" giving updates on the fire.

Fourteen years ago, in September of 2001, John was a frequent traveler with this job on the commercial side of network engineering.  But on this Tuesday morning, he was at home.  He had gone over to visit my in-laws.  Finishing up my hair, I turned off the hair dryer and began putting on my makeup.

"If you are just joining us, a plane has hit the World Trade Center and the building is in flames."

A plane hit the towers?  That is crazy.  I put the makeup down and went to the living room and sat down to see what was going on.  John walked in the back door at about the same time.

"Isn't that crazy," he said.  We sat in stunned silence. 

No more than a few seconds could have passed....then another plane hit the towers, right there in front of our eyes.

I felt an icy chill shiver its way across my shoulders, up into my hair, and down my back.  Dear God....

Peter Jennings came on air.

The world as we knew it came to an end that day.  Our innocence died.  My children would never know a world without terrorism within our own borders.  My oldest child was in the 3rd grade and my youngest in Kindergarten. 

I sat on the ottoman in my living room with freshly washed hair, tears streaming down my makeup-free face   watching my country under attack.

I called my friends to let them know I wouldn't be meeting with them.  

From that point I only remember flashes of news reports, speculation, people jumping to their death from the towers, terror on the faces of people on the streets.  Dear God, have mercy on us.

It was only a short time later that we heard a plane hit the Pentagon and then a plane was down in Pennsylvania.  It seemed the daytime nightmare would never end.

The clear blue skies of fall were marred by smoke, flames and death. 

As the anniversary of 9/11 approaches, I pray for this country.  I pray for those who hate us.

I just pray. 

I am not afraid to die.

In May of 2002 John and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas and Key West.  Everything was running smoothly until I ate a conch fritter during dinner and ended up in anaphylactic shock.  It was severe.  In fact, I almost died.  

In the belly of the gigantic ship, I was attended to by the cruise doctor and nurses and they were able to stop the reaction, but it was close.  Very close.  

I learned a lot about myself in those few minutes hovering between life and death.  Standing on the cliff of death, I could see the vastness just beyond the edge.  Confident I was struggling to take in my final breaths, I made a startling realization. I am not afraid to die.  In fact, death seemed a respite from the struggle to receive air.  

I was afraid for John and my boys.  In 2002 my boys were just 7 and 11.  John traveled a great deal for his job as a commercial network engineer.  My ability to work from home had kept our lives grounded while John was away.  All I could think was, "How in the world will John make this work when I die?  What will happen to John and the boys?"  

The quick thinking doctor was able to stop the reaction and I was soon able to breathe again.  I was on antihistamines for quite a while and the rest of the trip was spent in a Benadryl haze with an extremely swollen face and neck.  

Strangely, it was one of the most spiritually rewarding experiences of my life.  I never really knew what I thought about dying until that night in the belly of the ship.  I am not afraid to die, although I will admit I am not so crazy about the pain that is associated with dying.  

In my novel series "Echo in the Veil", I explore death and grief. These are subjects most people don't want to talk about out loud, but do ponder deep within.  Pondering is a lovely way to search out what is in the heart.  Luke 2:19 says,  "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."  

Because of the assurance of my salvation, I did not and do not dread death.  Jesus took away the sting of death for those dying in Him.  However I do dread the grief that comes from losing someone I deeply love.  That side of the sting of death remains and causes a reaction far worse than any anaphylaxis.  

If you knew you were dying today, within the next few minutes, what would you do?  What would you think?  What would you pray? 

Take some time today to ponder your mortality. 

A life well lived

Last weekend a beloved friend of our family passed away at the grand age of 94.  He was tall, lean and gave great hugs.  A Colonel in the United States Army, he lived a life full of success, but also tragedy.  He outlived his first wife and his only son, but found love again later in life with one of my mother-in-law's best friends.  Since neither had any living family, our Smith family adopted them, you might say.  All major holidays and family celebrations have been spent with Dot and Ed right beside us. 

Ed was one of the "Greatest Generation," rare jewels in the nation's crown.  As this generation of men and women pass on, we are losing national treasures.  My Grandmother Nettie once said to me, "We don't grow them like that anymore."  She was right.  We don't. 

Last Wednesday we said a final goodbye to Ed's exhausted body.  He lived every ounce of life available in his soul's shell.  As we drove through Maple Hill Cemetery to Ed's burial plot, we read the grave markers.  John said, "Look at all the different last names."  I watched as the gray stones slowly passed by my window and thought, "Look at all the different lives, stories and families." 

The late morning sun shone warm on the mid-August day.  It was blazing hot the previous week, but on this day God smiled on us with cooler temperatures and a slight summer breeze.  One by one Ed's elderly friends made their way to the graveside tent.  Some came with canes and some with walkers, even one with a little chair on wheels, but they came.  

TAPS drifted through the air as a military musician gave tribute to our friend.  Soldiers quietly and with dignity folded the American flag that had been draped on Ed's casket. One soldier bowed on one knee in front of Dot, gently placing the perfectly folded fag in her frail, pale hands.  Looking into her eyes he said, "On behalf of the President, the United States Army, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a token of appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service." 

The lump in my throat grew large and the fat, juicy tears in my eyes balanced on my eyelashes making little prisms of colorful lights as as I tried to focus on Ed's gray metal casket.  

I had to keep my emotions under control because I was asked to sing solo and acapella  "God of our Fathers", our national hymn. The Pastor with his army haircut and black horned rimmed glasses said a few fitting words from the "Book of Common Worship".  He spoke of Ed's service and love of life.  We laughed a bit, cried a bit and felt a peaceful comfort settle all around the graveside.  The peace that passes all understanding is softer than any baby's blanket.    

At the end of the short service, I sang "Amazing Grace" and the Pastor said a prayer.  

Ed's life is over here on this earth. I am reminded of the statement my angel spoke to me in a dream after Angie slipped away from us.  "A life well lived is a sacred echo."  

Rest in peace, my friend.  We will enjoy your echo for many years to come.  

 

Expanding Soul Theory

When the sisters at Sacred Heart began teaching me the discipline of silence, I came to realize the process was simple, but the discipline was AWFUL! 

After months and moths of practice, I received an unexpected blessing from my discipline. Breathing in the silence allowed me to breath out my soul's noise.

Until that release, I had not realized how restricted my soul had become. Accustomed to the roar of my internal thoughts, I filtered everything else out. I heard, but did not hear.

Psalms 46:10 is a transformation scripture!  "Be still and know that I am God." has always been a favorite of mine, even before exploring what it actually meant.  Just reading the verse always brings a sense of calm to my mind.  
 

 "Be still" is pretty straight forward, but my soul had no clue what "and know" meant.
God never asks us to do something that will not benefit us.  He is a loving, caring God, therefore all His commands bring blessings to us. 

I call this post the "Expanding Soul Theory" because of what the silence has done for me. With the guidance of my Sisters, I looked at the call to be still as a pathway toward the blessings of knowing Him more fully.  With each deliberate attempt at silence, a blessing bubbles to the top of the silence.  With each new blessing, my soul's capacity to love, forgive, and extend grace expands!  God be praised! 

In the past, I have often found myself unable to forgive sins against me.  God will only extend me the amount of mercy that I extend to others, but this knowledge did not seem to get me where I needed to be.  I tend to be a difficult student. 

After months and months of intentionally being silent before the Lord, one day I realized I no longer held a grudge that I once held.  The internal noise of resentment gave way to the blessings of love, mercy, and forgiveness.  It was a miraculous revelation due to the amount of resentment I held.

I had not learned some new forgiveness trick.  No!  I became obedient to the call of being still and willingly allowed the silence to begin transforming me. 

Understand that He is not just asking you to be still for the sake of non-movement.  He is calling you to be still so that you can begin an internal release, allowing you to know Him more fully.  Breathing in silence ultimately grows you into a more Christ-like child of the King!  Your soul expands! 

Try going on a silent journey today.  Take just 5 minutes to be completely silent before the Lord.  Still your body and relax your mind, leaning in toward Him.  How?  Try this. 

Give God your intention to be still and silent by praying, "Lord I give you this 5 minutes to discipline my mind for silence." 

For 5 short minutes be still and silent.   Thoughts will come to you.  In the beginning of this journey, your mind may even fight this discipline.  Satan will say things to you such as, "You can't do this!  This is crazy!"  Our minds are noisy places and noisy places breed unGodly thoughts. 

Today, as a thought comes, acknowledge the thought and then let the thought pass through your mind, like the summer wind through an open window screen. 

Just breathe in the silence.  Let thoughts pass through your spiritual window screen.  Breathe. Relax. Repeat for at least five minutes. 

Again, the process is simple, but that does not make it easy.  Being still and quiet before the Lord is difficult, but the rewards are many. 

Give God 5 minutes a day for the rest of this week.  Don't give up, even though it is hard.   You will be rewarded. 

The Prayer Dominator

The Nunnery on the Island of Iona, Scotland

As a child, I received the blessing of a prayer habit.  It’s a gift I open often.   

I am an evangelical, church of Christ, daughter of the King, who is also an oblate* with the Catholic Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery. 

Why is a girl like me hanging out at a monastery? 

The answer is quite simple. 

I’m listening. 

Up until a few years ago, I did not fully pray.  I talked, thanked, and on occasion begged.  In my prayer life, I was the person most people hate. I never shut up so someone else could speak.  I was The Prayer Dominator.  

While that might sound like a super hero of sorts, it is instead a serious spiritual flaw.  

For many years I didn’t even know I should listen.  I was ignorantly fulfilled with my chatty prayers. 

As a life-long believer in Jehovah God, I was spiritually illiterate conversing with the Creator I claim devotion. 

I was missing out on the divine when I chatted with my God, said, “Amen” and then quickly moved on with my day.

I have a beloved friend who wins the "Most Difficult to Communicate With" award.  All of our circle of friends know this.  If it were not so sad,  it would be almost comical.  When we converse, he never looks me in the eyes, he is always thinking about what he is going to say next, and even worse, he is prone to walk off in the middle of the so called conversation. 

Watching the back of his head as he saunters off, I feel frustration, irritation, and worst of all, I feel disrespected. 

A few years ago, I realized I had spent my entire life disrespecting God in the same way.  

We will dig deeper into prayer in the next few posts.  I hope you'll come back and join me.  

* An oblate is a person who joins hands with a particular monastery to become a faithful prayer warrior with them and a lifelong student of prayer.  Quite simply, an oblate offers themselves as a prayer sacrifice.