CONFESSION

I have a confession...As I was making the long walk down the main corridor of the exhibit hall at General Conference, it hit me. I can't do this anymore. On the outside, I was waving to people and smiling, but on the inside I was thinking, I'm  so done with this. So in one fluid motion, I reached down and did the unthinkable...I took off my shoes. My husband, with disbelief in his voice, asked, "Are you going barefooted?" Without even meeting his eyes, least I lose confidence, I affirmed my intent. "I am." Just like that. "I am." I felt so free. High heels no longer dictated my steps. Suddenly, strangers were calling out to me words of affirmation, looking longingly at my bare feet, and I knew they wanted to be free too. Free to skip, jump and take long strides without fear. My eyes met theirs and we were laughing, relishing the joy of it all. In that moment they knew the truth...they could be free of high heels too;)

THE HANDKERCHIEF: AN ESSENTIAL TOOL OF MOTHERHOOD

Practical Uses For Mom’s Handkerchief
-Shooing a Fly (Or a child that is underfoot)
-As a Dust Rag (Useful when company arrives unexpectedly)
-Cleaning a Spill (Usually a grandmother, keeping a child from getting in trouble.)
-Opening or Closing Restroom Doors (Preceded by, “Don’t touch that!”)
-Unscrewing Jar Lid (Mom acquires superhero strength.)
-A Sachet Strategically Placed (Children love to smell where Mom has been.)
-Baby Pacifier (Filled with a bit of sugar and tied for sucking)

Things Kids Hate Mom’s Handkerchief For
-Blowing and Wiping a Child’s Nose (The child must blow until there is evidence.)
-Catching a Sneeze (Aww, Mom, it was gonna be a good one!)
-Drying a Child’s Hands (Before they wipe them on their clothes)
-Cleaning a Face (Accompanied by Mom’s spit)
-As a Napkin to Protect Shirt (How embarrassing!)
-Shining Church Shoes (Is that mud or something else?)

Things Kids Love Mom’s Handkerchief For
-Disposing of Unchewable Bites of Food (Preteens are even thankful for this)
-Presenting a Hidden Cookie (Usually by a grandmother)
-Squashing and/or Removing Offending Insect (Especially awe-inspiring to a toddler)

Things Kids Might Use Mom’s Handkerchief For
-Impromptu Puppet (Children of all ages know how the make these.)
-Parachute (Especially great with a bit of string and a plastic army man.)
-To Run Away From Home (Used to tie a biscuit or cookie up for the road. This child is often home before Mom realizes he/she has run away.)

The Handkerchief Is Symbolic of a Mother’s Love
-Giving a Pat on the Back (“Good job!” or “You can do this.”)
-Mopping a Feverish Forehead (It’s going to be all right. Momma’s here.”)
-Wiping a Tear From an Eye (“I understand.”)
-Having a Good Cry (In my naivety, I thought raising kids would get easier.)
-Prayer Cloth (Anointed and tucked under a mattress or sent through the mail)
-Praise/Wave Offering/Surrendering

(Father, I thank you for these children that I am not worthy of. They are so much more than I was at their age. They are so incredible, beautiful, gifted and anointed.

I’m not asking that they fill some great position in men’s eyes. I’m not even asking that they fill some great position in the Church. But, Father, I do ask that each one will be useful to the Kingdom, for your glory and that, most of all, they will be saved. I pray that you wouldn’t have to deal tragically with any of them, but Lord, whatever it takes, don’t let them be lost. I pray that they would always be sensitive to the moving of your Spirit and alert to the sound of your voice.

I praise you for giving them to me for this short season. I know that I’ve made serious mistakes in raising them and ask that you fix all that I’ve messed up. Work in their lives in spite of me, Lord. I hold them up before your throne and I surrender my will for their lives to you. I plead the Blood of Jesus over them for protection, direction and inspiration. Keep them in your mighty hand all the days of their lives. In Jesus’ name.)

THE FRAGRANCE THAT GOD LONGS FOR

When the Children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness for forty years, they had a portable church, the Tabernacle.  God gave Moses very specific plans for this mobile worship center including its dimensions, building materials, conduct of ceremonies and even furniture. 

One piece of furniture was the Altar of Incense.  The High Priest (Aaron, Moses' brother, being the first) went into the Holy Place at least twice a day, morning and evening, to offer incense on this altar.  The Lord took note of this fragrant offering and was pleased.

"And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.  And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations."  (Exodus 30:7-8) 

The offering of incense was symbolic of the prayers that we should offer up to God on a daily basis.  He waits to hear from us.  He longs to hear from us.

1 Timothy 5:17 instructs us to "Pray without ceasing".  We should always be in an attitude of prayer, ready to call upon God at any time, in any situation.  This is the mindset and lifestyle of a true Christian. 

At a minimum, we should begin and end our day at the Altar of Incense.  He is longing to smell the sweet fragrance of our prayers.

A COLLECTION OF MOMENTS

A few days ago a lady came into the cleaners.  Her husband had passed away the night before and could we clean his clothes in two hours?  We were not able to fulfill this request, but we did arrange for them to be pressed.

She was so very distraught and yet attempting to keep herself together to get through this moment, and the next moment, and the next.  Feeling completely at a loss in the face of her grief, I offered to pray with her.  She gratefully accepted and wet my shoulder with her tears.

Up until this point, my day had been going very badly.  Actually, the bad had collected into a heap from several days prior.  My focus was only on myself.  All of these things were going wrong, getting in the way of me accomplishing that One Big Thing for God.  Someday.

But out of the blue, and into the moment, walks someone with a need.  God has given me an opportunity to connect.  To minister.  Suddenly, my day, my week, my life has value again.

God has taught me something that I've known forever, but needed reminding of.  Being a Christian isn't so much about doing the One Big Thing, but about living,  learning and loving through a collection of moments over a lifetime.

IN DEFENSE OF FICTION

I am a reader. I have been my whole life. I don't remember learning to do it, just that I always have. Books are like old friends. They comfort me. I enjoy the way they feel when I hold them. I enjoy the way they sound when I fan their pages. I enjoy the way they smell when I sniff them...Yes, I sniff them.

I am a connoisseur of a wide variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction. At any given time, I am in the process of reading one or two of each. Most of my reads are Christian works, but I'm not above delving deep into the autobiography of an inspirational secular success story.

Occasionally, I receive negative feedback from folks who see fiction as completely worthless. Reading fiction requires wisdom and discretion on the part of the reader.  I will admit that many fiction writers waste their talent on mindless manuscripts and sensual drivel.  If this is the sort of thing you're mentally and visually ingesting, Congratulations! You are what you read. Junk in, junk out.

Good fiction, however, teaches. Good fiction has been researched. Good fiction moves people to make better life choices.

Much knowledge can be gleaned from fictional works that you wouldn't take the time to research yourself. This knowledge, even though learned "by accident", lies dormant to be referenced in the future.

Oh, and by the way, Jesus often taught in parables, which are fictional stories used to relate a lesson, moral or truth.

"And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, behold, a sower went forth to sow..."

ONE GARMENT

Several years ago, I saw a documentary about a lady who got rid of all her clothes and purchased seven blue dresses. All seven were exactly alike -royal blue, cut a few inches below the knee, three-quarter length sleeves, modest neckline, belted at the waist. A very practical choice for wearing every day. And that is exactly what she did.

Her reasoning for making this life choice was that she had found herself caring too much about her physical appearance and what people thought about her looks. She had decided to focus, instead, on her character. So, she intentionally chose an outfit that would not draw attention to what people saw, but what people felt when they were in her presence.

Now, if I were choosing a garment to wear every single day, this particular blue dress would not be the one. The thought makes me rather squeamish. I definately, without any need to think further, would choose black. Straight, but not binding. No pleats. Hanging just above my ankles so that it swished when I walked, maybe a spandex-mix with some stretch, three-quarter length sleeves, modest neckline, and of course, wrinkle-free.

I know many of you are cringing right now at my choice, or perhaps just at the thought of wearing the same garment every day. These feelings only accentuate the need to choose wisely. This is the one garment that I would choose in the natural, and I'm very comfortable with my choice. But if I had to choose one spiritual garment, what would it be?

Isaiah 61:1-3 talks about a Garment that is given by God, himself. 1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

If I had to choose only one spiritual garment, it would be the Garment of Praise. This garment covers a multitude of error. If I have leaned too much to the flesh on any given day, the solution is to Praise God. If I have been in want for anything, the solution is to Praise God. If I have been confused, the solution is to Praise God. If I have been offensive or been offended, the solution is to Praise God. If I have allowed my emotions to get the better of me, the solution is to Praise God. If my spirit has been depressed or riddled with anxiety, the solution is to Praise God.

The Garment of Praise is like a warm cloak on a cold, winters day or a protective shade from the raging sun. Yes, when people see me, I want them to see me wearing my Garment of Praise every day.

A TORNADO IN THE DESERT

Much has been said about Elijah’s departure from this world and Elisha’s faithfulness in remaining with him to the end, even in the face of Elija’s insistence that he remain behind. Elijah first told him to stay behind so that he could travel on to Bethel, then to Jericho and finally to Jordan. Elisha’s response to each of these requests was unwavering, “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.”

Each of these choices was a point of testing. Would the apprentice be faithful to the elder prophet? Yet the greatest time of testing was yet to come. Finally, as Elijah realized that his young student would not be dissuaded from following him, he asked what Elisha’s desire was. Elisha replied that he wanted a double portion. A double portion of what? God’s Spirit and anointing.

Elijah’s response is one of the most brushed over of the scripture, “You have asked a hard thing. Never the less, if you see me when I am taken up…” Why was Elisha’s request a hard thing? Because in order to meet his mentor’s requirements, he was going to have to face his fears.

We often hear about the Chariot and horses of fire, but it fails to register that there was what we would call a tornado involved here. Not only did Elisha have to be faithful enough to not give up and turn back; he also had to keep Elijah in his sight until he was taken up and the prophet’s mantle had fallen down.

I experienced a tornado recently and while my kids and I did stand at the window and watch the approaching black clouds and distant lightening with awe, there was a point when the hail began to fall and things started flying through the air that we bailed and ran. At first we felt brave, all secure in our brick house, but the closer the monster got, the more our bravado failed us. In one instant, we went from facing the oncoming storm to running breathlessly to hide in the basement.

Elisha knew that Elijah was being taken from him that day. Scripture says that God would do nothing in the earth unless He first reveals it to his sons the prophets. The great and notable event was prophecied at each place they stopped. Elisha knew what; he just didn’t know how. He didn’t know how frightening it would be. He didn’t realize the powerful emotions that would threaten to engulf him at the critical moment when he must not look away. The overwhelming urge to flee, even though he had refused to turn back from following his mentor at every other point of the journey.

God’s Word says, He that endures until the end shall be saved. Many people have walked a measure of the journey with the Lord. They have even done notable works for the Kingdom during that time. But when they had to face their greatest fears -rejection, offense, or crumbling goals -they fled. Or when they were called upon by the Spirit to come up higher, they hid their faces against the onslaught of oppression.

We are called to look to Jesus in the face of apparent destruction, when we can see nothing but calamity on the horizon. After the younger prophet had picked up Elijah’s mantle, the symbol of Elisha’s much sought after double portion, did he remember a moment when he almost turned away from the storm. Was he embarrassed by his humanity?

In this journey that we are walking with Jesus, we must not turn back, but what if God requires more of us in these last days? What if we are called on to face our fears? What would we do if we weren’t afraid? To pray, to sing, to write, to speak, to witness? What spiritual victories would we attain if we didn’t seek shelter when the thing that we are most afraid of is upon us? What blessing might be hiding in the raging storm?