Standing Still Is Hard to Do

Have you ever tried to stand absolutely still?  Did you find yourself wobbling maybe just a little bit?  Or tempted to fidget?

Have you ever told your child to "just be still"?  And how successful was that?  Not very, would be my guess!!

Several years ago, in the torture of physical therapy (PT stands for "pure torture") following a broken ankle, one of the tasks I was assigned by my therapist was standing still, on one foot no less!  I think it was supposed to improve my balance or something like that.  But since balance was never my strong suit, I did not excel at the task.  And standing absolutely still on one foot was misery for me! 

While standing still, in a physical sense, is a challenge, I think standing still in the spiritual sense may be even more difficult.  Waiting is hard.

It was hard for us as children to wait for birthdays and Christmas.  We wanted to open those packages.  We wanted to celebrate!

It was hard for us as children, and still is for us as adults, to wait for a special event or a long-anticipated vacation.

We're conditioned to an instant-gratification society.  We have our instant-on TVs and our microwaves and instant coffee, instant oatmeal, instant grits (and I say a resounding YUCK to all those "instants").  We have 24 hour news channels and the internet and Facebook and all the know-all-about-it-as-soon-as-it-happens media.

All that makes it hard for us to wait for anything.  When we read the words of Psalm 46:  "Be still and know that I am God," that is a foreign concept to us in our culture.  Literally, that verse means "cease striving".  In other words, we need to stop our worrying and let God be God.

But that's hard for us, isn't it?  We want what we want when we want it.  We're conditioned in our culture to believe that we have a right to expect that.  But do we really have that right?  As I search the Scriptures, I find nothing that leads me to believe that to be true.  And I find nothing that promises living life God's way will be easy.  In spite of what the prosperity-gospel proponents would lead us to believe, the Scripture does not promise health and wealth and happiness and that every day will be Friday or that every day will be our best day.  In fact, a careful reading of the Scriptures will point you in a different direction altogether.  There may be tough times.  There may be times when we cry out to God for answers, but we have to wait.  Which leads me back to standing still.

Perhaps you are in a "waiting" period.  I understand.  I'm right there with you.  Asking questions for which I have no answer yet.  Wondering why not.  Still waiting.  And it's hard.

In many ways, I'm a patient person.  Like with my grandchildren :)  In other ways, not so much.  Maybe it's a personality "flaw".  Or it's my personality "type".  Whatever.  I typically am not good at dragging things out.  I want to make a decision, based on the best information I have available at the time, and move on.  Often, when in conversation with someone, or when sitting in a class or some type of training, my thought (which I hope I don't actually verbalize!) is......will you get to the point??!!  So, while I'm patient with my grandchildren, I probably wouldn't be described as patient otherwise!

In a spiritual sense, that is a real problem for me.  I want to know everything I'm supposed to know right now.  I want answers to my questions right now.  I have trouble "standing still".  Sometimes it's hard for me to wait and just let God be God.  It's hard for me to be a good student and let God teach me what He wants to teach me in His time.  It's just hard.

So today, as I'm confessing that to God (and to you!), I have the words of a song by The Isaacs (written by Sonja and Becky) running through my mind.  You can check it out on YouTube if you aren't familiar with it.....it's a great song.  Here are the lyrics:

The Father has a plan,

 Though it's hard to see it now.

You feel you're walking all alone,

 But He is there no doubt.

When the storm around you rages,

And you're tossed to and fro,

When you're faced with life's decisions,

Not sure which way to go,

Stand still and let God move.

Standing still is hard to do.

When you feel you have reached the end,

 He'll make a way for you.

Stand still and let God move.

(Rebecca and Sonja Isaacs, David Marshall)



Press On

Many years ago, when I was a young church pianist, our church called a new Minister of Music.  That's when I first met Rev. Lloyd Brewer.  Over the years I served that church, Lloyd was such an encourager to me!  I learned so much from him during those years, and in later years as I was serving other churches and when I would call him with a question or to borrow music, he continued to offer encouragement and support.

A couple of weeks ago Lloyd was hospitalized.  So many of us had been praying for him to get better, to open his eyes.  Yesterday he opened his eyes in the presence of His Savior.  Lloyd loved the Lord, he loved his family, and he loved people.  As I have followed the FB posts of his family and friends over the last couple of weeks, I have seen that he was still the loving, encouraging person I first met all those years ago.

Lloyd was one of the most gifted musicians I have ever known.  I loved to listen to - and watch - him play the piano.  Years ago at Trinity Baptist Church, before the construction of the current sanctuary, when our services were held in the original sanctuary, the piano was in a "box" at the end of the choir loft and behind the pastor's pulpit.  When Lloyd would play, I would move from the piano bench to my chair in the corner and watch with delight as his fingers ran up and down the keyboard!

I have so many wonderful memories from those years, but one of my favorites is from early in our years working together.  The church was celebrating an anniversary, and Lloyd was leading the choir in presenting the musical "Press On".  I can still see Lloyd...with great joy on his face.....with his arms in motion as he directed us.....occasionally pushing his glasses back up after they slid down his nose.  To this day, "Press On" remains one of my favorite songs!

So many of my favorite choral anthems date back to those days......especially one of my all-time favorites ("Holy Is He") and the anthem we often used to begin the service...."Come, Praise the Lord with Me!" which became the basis for my later ministry as a church music minister......"O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together (Psalm 34:3 NASB).

Today I'm remembering Lloyd.  I'm grieving with and for his dear family.  And I'm thankful that we who belong to Jesus do not grieve as those who have no hope, "for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus......then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus shall we always be with the Lord."  (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NASB).

But.....we still grieve.  Lloyd's family......his wife, his children, his precious grandson, his extended family.....and all of us who knew and loved him, are grieving.  We mourn his passing.  He will be greatly missed in this life.  All of us who have lost loved ones know this all too well.  So I ask you to join me - whether you knew Lloyd or not - in lifting his dear family to our loving Heavenly Father, asking that He will comfort and strengthen them during these difficult days and in the days to come, as they adjust to life without Lloyd.

In the meantime......we "press on".......

When the valley is deep,

When the mountain is steep,

When the body is weary,

When we stumble and fall,

When the choices are hard,

When we're battered and scarred,

When we've spent our resources,

When we've given our all....

Chorus:

In Jesus' name, we press on.

In Jesus' name, we press on.

Dear Lord, with the prize

Clear before our eyes

We find the strength to press on.

(Dan Burgess)

 



A Fresh Start

The holidays are behind us.  2011 is but a memory.  Our "staycation" is over.  And so it's time to move on!  Even though it's Tuesday, for practical purposes, it's a new week.  We're in a new month.  A new year.  So.......time to get with it!! 

I love the holidays.  I really do.  I love the decorations.  And the music.  And the extra time with family and friends.  And the food.  The food!!  I think I may have loved a little too much of it this year!

But I also love getting back to "normal".  Back to a routine.  And I love the "clean slate" that is a new year.  I love that, no matter how miserably I may have failed at the goals I set for last year or how much I wish I had done some things differently, I get to start fresh.

And so today, as Al gets back to work and I get back to my normal routines, I'm thankful for the fresh start.  I loved these last two weeks when he was on vacation from his job.  I loved the spontaneous day trips and the extra time together and watching movies and sleeping in and going out to breakfast and all the fun things we did......and the times we just did nothing!  But now I'm ready to get back to "normal"!

I'm looking forward to this new year.  I'm excited about what lies ahead.  And I'm filled with a sense of anticipation as I watch and wait for whatever God has in store for us this year!

"Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."                (Philippians 4:12b-13 NASB)

It's That Time Again

Another year has flown by!  I can sometimes hardly believe how quickly time passes!  But here we are again at the end of another year, and it's that time again.....time for New Year's Resolutions.  You know what I mean.....those ridiculous promises you make to yourself at this time every year.  Things like "I will lose 50 pounds by Friday" or "I will never allow anything chocolate to pass my lips ever again" or some other equally unattainable promise that will be broken by Tuesday.

Well, here's a news flash for you.  I don't do New Year's Resolutions!  I gave up on that a while ago.  Maybe it's a mark of maturity (??!!!!), but I finally came to the conclusion that setting myself up for failure by making promises to myself that I knew I couldn't or wouldn't keep wasn't helping me - or anybody around me, for that matter!  So, it has been my practice in recent years to set some goals for the new year, to determine a way to be accountable about those goals, and to have benchmarks that I can check periodically to mark my progress.  Maybe you do the same.  If not, it's a practice you might want to consider.

As an example, it has been my practice for quite a while now to read the Bible through each year.  (Please understand, I'm not making commentary or judgment on you if you don't do this; I'm just telling you what I do, although it is definitely a practice I recommend.)  As each year winds to a close, I'm evaluating how I did on the plan I used for the year, deciding if I want to continue the same reading plan or use a different one, determining which translation I will use for the coming year, how I will be accountable, and - perhaps most importantly - evaluating what I learned, what I gained, from the practice in the past year.

For this coming year, I have set my Bible reading goals, decided on a Bible study plan (which is different from Bible-reading), and also set goals in other areas of my life.  My health, for example.  Because high blood pressure is a fact of my life, I am purposing to do a better job of monitoring my blood pressure readings and to making better diet and exercise choices to help keep my blood pressure under control.  I have devised a tracking system to check my progress(because that's how I roll!!!).

You see, no matter what goals I set, no matter what resolutions I make or don't make, no matter what others do or don't do, no matter who is elected President or what happens to the economy.......life is not about me.  Or you.  It's all about Jesus!

".....my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death."  (Philippians 1:20 NKJV).

Are You Ready?

We hear that question a lot at this time of year.  Are you ready for Christmas?  And that usually means "have you finished your Christmas shopping?"  Or "are all your decorations up?"  Or "have you finished the cookie baking?"  Or.......you can fill in the blank.

As I have been thinking about that today, I've been remembering a sermon I heard a few years ago on this topic.  In fact, I think the pastor may have titled his sermon "Are You Ready for Christmas?"  But what he was talking about had nothing to do with decorations or shopping or cookie baking!

His point, and one I think we would all do well to remember, is that being "ready" for Christmas has very little to do with shopping or cookies or trees.  It has everything to do with Jesus.  And with a right relationship with Him.  Being ready for Christmas is about focus......about remembering why we are doing this in the first place.....about celebrating Jesus!

I'm not anti-Christmas decorations or anti-Christmas presents or anti-Christmas cookies (especially not anti-cookies!!).  But I am saddened by how easily our focus shifts away from the real reason for the celebration.

Some years ago, in a Children's Choir program I was directing, there was a song titled "Happy Birthday, Jesus."  The song centered around the fact that we each have a birthday, a "special day that comes 'round once a year" and we like for people to remember that day.  We often are given gifts on that day, and we like that!!  The song goes on to point out that Jesus has a special day, but though everybody knows it, "the fact is often clear that we forget to remember Him on His very special day."

We spend a lot of time during the Christmas season thinking about those who are special to us and about what gift we can give to let them know just how much we love them. 

Should we not also do the same for Jesus?  It's His birthday we're celebrating!!  What gift will you give this year?

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb,

If I were a wise man

I would do my part,

Yet what I can I give Him,

Give Him my heart.

                                                           -Christina Rossetti
                                                                        

What's Your Favorite?

Now that the calendar says it's almost December, I guess it's "officially" OK for me to listen to Christmas music.  I've been noticing a lot of complaining about Christmas music being played or sung prior to Thanksgiving, and I have to confess that I don't really understand that.  From the perspective that Thanksgiving is becoming the "forgotten" holiday and that retailers jump into Christmas advertising right after Labor Day, I'll accept the complaining......at least a little bit. 

But for me, "Christmas music" transcends the season.  I would gladly listen to it and sing it year-round.  And I confess that, in the privacy of my own home, I do!!  It's a bit sad to me that this wonderful music which tells so much of the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place, that gives us so many wonderful lyrics about the redemption story, is relegated to just a few weeks in December.

I was recently asked about my favorite Christmas carol.  I had a hard time answering that question.  Not because I don't have a favorite.  Because I have LOTS of favorites!! 

I love "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night".  I love the music.  I love the way the music suits the lyrics perfectly.  I love how these songs evoke mental images of the events of that special night so long ago.

I love "Joy to the World"!  Just the title makes me smile.  JOY!!!! 

I love Mark Lowry's song "Mary, Did You Know?"  I don't really think of that as a "Christmas" song, but it seems to be played and sung a lot more during the Christmas season.  It's a really thought-provoking song.  Just what did Mary really understand about this baby boy?

Perhaps my absolute favorite is "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing".  I think I must have loved this carol all my life.  I can remember singing it as a little girl.  (And I've been told that, in my early childhood, I "rewrote" the lyrics a little.....instead of "with th' angelic host proclaim", I sang "with the jelly host proclaim"!!!!)  I have come to love this carol more and more over the years, particularly for its lyrics.  The entire reason for Christmas, the reason Christ came to earth, is encapsulated in one line......."God and sinners reconciled". 

That's the reason for the season!

And so today as I'm singing my favorite songs of the season, I'm wondering what your favorites are.  And why.  Leave a comment if you'd like to share.

Precious Memories

A year ago today, we were boarding a plane in Atlanta, on our way to the Holy Land.  Precious memories indeed!

But over the last few days, I've been traveling down memory lane in a different direction.....remembering Thanksgiving Days gone by.

A few of my favorite memories...

• when Brian was in kindergarten, his class made pilgrim hats and collars for their Thanksgiving feast.  When he got home, he found construction paper, glue and scissors, and made a set for his little brother so that Brandon would have the same thing he had.
• when Brandon was in kindergarten, his class made similar hats and collars, and as they sat around the table for their feast, they recited this prayer together:  "For food and all the gifts of love, we give Thee thanks and praise.  Look down, O Father, from above, and bless us all our days."  That prayer has stuck in my memory ever since.
• remembering Thanksgiving dinners from my childhood.......Mother would set the table with the "good" china that only got used on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We would crowd around the dining room table (also rarely used!).......Grandmother Neil, Uncle JB, Daddy's cousins Anne and Richard (brother and sister, neither of whom ever married),and the four of us.  I giggle every time I remember the year Grandmother bit down on the stuffed celery and broke her false teeth!!
• day-after-Thanksgiving Christmas shopping in Spartanburg with Mother.  When we got home from that all-day adventure, we wrapped gifts together.
• the smell of a fire burning in the fireplace.  The fireplace (which was rarely used) was in the living room (also rarely used), and we typically only had a fire on Thanksgiving and Christmas.......no matter how hot it was......and sometimes in SC, Thanksgiving Day is not exactly build-a-fire kind of weather!  But we did it anyway.
• turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce.......macaroni and cheese......sweet potato casserole.....pecan pie......

So many fond memories of Thanksgiving Days gone by.  We were a small group this year.  Just Al & me, Brandon, Stephanie and AJ.  But we had a wonderful day together.  We skyped with Brian, Emily & Christopher.  I missed family members who have gone on to be with Jesus.  But I was so thankful for all the Thanksgivings we had together.

As I have been reminiscing on Thanksgiving Days past, and anticipating Thanksgiving Days yet to come, I'm reminded that Thanksgiving is not about a day.  It's not about celebrating "Thanksgiving Day" as much as about  DAILY giving thanks!

And, no matter what the circumstances of our lives, don't we all have so much to be thankful for??!!  So, as we leave this Thanksgiving Day behind and move on to celebrating Christmas, what better way to celebrate than by keeping that attitude of gratitude going.....into December, through Christmas, and on into the new year!

Count your blessings, name then one by one;

Count your blessings, see what God has done;

Count your blessings, name then one by one;

Count your many blessings, see what God has done.