Calming Faith

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."  Psalm  23:2

     The sweet psalmist David sang of calming faith.  Lean in and listen to a line of this beloved recital:  "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."

     Notice David sang of how the Lord "maketh" and the Lord "leadeth."  In other words, young David didn't come up with the idea to stop and rest in the lush pastureland.  His youthful vitality probably vied for  higher ground.  David was probably humming bee-bop, and the Lord was saying,  "Stop."  The Lord knew that the shepherd boy and the sheep needed a break.

     David then points out that he had to be led by the Lord to the still waters.  I wonder if David had to be led because he was naturally drawn to the excitement of the rushing waters?  It certainly is that way with us. Left to our own agendas, we either run at breakneck speeds right past the pasture, enamored with our frenzied pace, or sit in parched misery.  The Shepherd, who understands our naivete and our humanity (not to mention our sheeplike stupidity), intervenes on our behalf to guide us with a strong hand onto a quiet path and into a calmer faith.

     Yep, a calmer faith.  That's the quiet place within us where we don't get whiplash every time life tosses us a curve.  Where we don't revolt when his plan and ours conflict.  Where we relax (versus stew, sweat, and swear) in the midst of an answerless season.  Where we accept (and expect) deserts in our spiritual journey as surely as we do joy.  Where we are not intimidated or persuaded by other people's agendas but moved only by him.  Where we weep in repentance, sleep in peace, live in fullness, and sing of victory.

     Ultimately our life in Christ makes us winners.  And being winners in the Lord means that nothing we go through is for naught.  There is just something about knowing that my failures, others' failures, hardships, mistakes, losses, and pain have meaning.  For me, that understanding eases some of the agony of life and encourages me to keep on keeping on.

     If you asked those who know me well, they would tell you I am a reactive woman.  Often overstated in my responses, I have knots on my cranium from bouncing off ceilings.  I've always admired laid-back people (when I wasn't aggravated by their seeming lack of gumption).  I know I need to settle down, but I'm wired tightly.  Even though some of those wires seem frayed (like the ones that connect my thoughts), I can't nestle down in the green pastures long enough to enjoy the feast of His provision.  It's also difficult for me to stay at the water's edge to quench my thirst because I'm busy splashing around in the shallowness of my own agenda.  Imagine giving up Niagara Falls for a dripping faucet.

     I'm grateful the Lord maketh and the Lord leadeth, for I needeth in a big way!  I needeth the One who madeth me to holdeth me together.  When I am irrational, irksome, or irate, I need the Shepherd of this willful sheep to maketh me still and sane.  That way, instead of telling off tellers, I can extend courtesy.  Instead of setting my husband straight, I can extend understanding.  Instead of having all the answers, I can extend a listening ear.

     Perhaps that is why the Lord brought David to the pasture and the water's edge.  He knew this young boy would one day be an influential king, and he would need to know how to be still, understanding, attentive, courteous, and calm.  The Lord knew David would have to deal with critical issues both politically and personally.  He knew the king would need to know where to go when life became too much, when he needed to be restored in his soul, when he just plain needed a break.

     When you need a break, where do you tend to go?  The mountains?  A valley?  A pastureland?  The water's edge?

     Wherever each of us chooses, we all know what it feels like to be at rest.  And we all long for that more sane life-style rather than being overwhelmed.  But are we willing to leave the press long enough to lie down in the soothing green pastures and to be led by the still waters of His provision?  That, my friend, is not resort living but restored living.  And each of us needs it!

"Joy Breaks"

Don't Grin And Bear It

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31


"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.  He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him."  Psalm  126: 5-6

     You can tell it's going to be a rotten day when

     - you call suicide prevention and they put you on hold.
     - you put your bikini top on backward and it fits better.
     - your blind date turns out to your ex-boyfriend.

     But just remember, every flower that ever bloomed had to go through a whole lot of dirt to get there!  And with the dirt, a lot of watering was needed.

     Scientific research indicates that tears - real, wet, human tears - may be the body's mechanism for flushing away harmful chemicals produced during stress.  A study at Harvard University showed that people who cried more in response to grief were less likely to suffer heart attacks after losing a loved one.  (Previous studies showed that the risk of suffering a heart attack after such a loss is fourteen times greater than normal.)  Imagine: tears can break the chain of chemical events that lead to heart disease and brain damage.

     Crying is the only physiological process experienced by humans that animals do not share.  Crying tears makes us human in the finest sense of the word.  Doctors now say shedding tears is one of the most effective performances of the human body.  And there are many uneducated people who know the therapeutic value of a good old-fashioned cry: sobbering, wailing, howling, just letting it all out.

     You don't have to grin and bear it.  You don't have to be holier-than-thou, keeping up a "spiritual" front that equates tears with weakness and doubt.  Now, scientists now confirm what the Bible has said for thousands of years:  tears are God's gift to his precious children.  When we cry, we allow our bodies to function according to God's design - and we embrace one of the "perks" he offers to relieve our stress.

     Someone said,  "God will accept a broken heart, but he must have all the pieces."  As he stitches those pieces back together, the moisture of tears softens and makes flexible his strong thread of healing in our lives. Big wet tears are part of the rich human experience.  The people who weep unashamed are the same ones who live and love with their whole heart and soul.  Those who mourn are those who have allowed themselves to feel real feelings because they care about other people.

     Do you realize what a gift it is to feel, even if it hurts?  Many people do not allow themselves the privilege of being happy or sad.  Some think courage is synonymous with stoicism.  But God does not hand out medals for not crying.  King David wrote in Psalm 34:4:  I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears (not tears)."

     I have a friend who cried buckets of tears through a divorce.  She struggled with rage and anger, then felt guilty about her feelings.  Her prayers most often consisted of simply releasing her pain by crying it out. During one such deluge of tears, she realized the rage she felt toward her ex-husband's betrayal was a reflection of how deeply she had loved him.  Her tears dissolved her guilt.  They were a vehicle to accept and then release honest emotion.

     Sometimes allowing yourself to cry is the scariest thing you'll ever do.  And the bravest.  It takes a lot of courage to face the facts, stare loss in the face, bare your heart, and let it bleed.  But it is the only way to cleanse your wounds and prepare them for healing.  God will take care of the rest.

"Joy Breaks"