The Not Seen

The other morning I left work and was surprised by how cold it was.  The wind whipped around and through me necessitating that I duck into the lobby of the Heart Care Building adjacent to the hospital while I waited for Glen to pick me up.

This building has a foyer with sliding glass doors and glass windows.  I stood right up next to the window, shielded from the wind, but in clear view of all who would pass by.  The drive in front of the foyer is a frequent place for physicians to use because it leads directly to their parking places.  In fact, I saw a couple of our obstetricians drive past while I waited.  None of them, nor anyone else using this drive while I was there, were at all aware of my presence.  To them, I was not only unseen, I was not seen, even though I was mere feet from them.

The Scriptures tell us that the truths of the Lord are clearly manifest in His creation all around us:

"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and  Godhead; so that they are without excuse," (Romans 1:20.)

How often do we pass by all the things which point to the Lord in His creation and never even begin to see Him in it?  It is my belief that every blade of grass, every petal of every flower, ever leaf in some way point out the power, majesty and wonders of our Lord, yet the truths they display are often not seen by our mortal eyes.  Perhaps when we as Christians enter into His glory, we will look back on the "invisible things from Him" and be astounded at the truths that were all around us, but our eyes never saw.  Every place our eyes rest will manifest "even His eternal power and Godhead."

Let us expect to see the truths of our Lord all around us.

"For in Him we live, and move, and have our being;" 

(Acts 17:28.)

Girl To Girl

On our recent vacation we stayed with our friends Tom and JJ in Tennessee and Bryan and Peggy in Georgia.

Late October is the perfect time to visit Tennessee and northern Georgia and the colors of the trees were outstanding.  But more outstanding was the time we spent with these dear friends.  I found myself learning some great lessons on this vacation.

Tom and William Webb

We have known Tom for over twenty years, and came to know JJ when she and Tom were courting.  She is perhaps one of the sweetest people I have ever known.  I had the great joy, honor and pleasure of taking care of them for the birth of their first child, William.

(You can read the story of that day on the blog Your Labor Room.)

In spite of having two young children, ages 11 and 8, and homeschooling them, JJ was the epitome of hospitality and graciousness.  There was nothing I might have needed -- or wanted -- that she had not already provided, or was jumping up to get before I even thought I wanted it.

Me, JJ and Erin

I remember the morning we left for our section hike on Mt. LeConte and the Appalachian Trail, she had boiled several eggs for me.  I thought kindly of her graciousness as I ate them on the side of the trail that day.  Her humble, servant spirit taught me much of the gift of caring for others.

At only eight, you might think there wasn't much I could learn from Erin, but you would be wrong.  On our first evening there she came up to both me and Glen and asked what our favorite colors were.  This was because she was going to make us each a rubber-band friendship bracelet.  Once she gave us both our bracelets we told her we would pray for her each time we saw them.  We wore them until they broke and now they will become a part of my very unusual Christmas Tree.

When I looked at her collection of colorful rubber bands, I told her it would be something my granddaughter would like and that I would have to buy her some.

"Oh, no!" was the eight-year-old's response, "I have more than enough.  Let me give you some for her." Then she filled a ziplock bag full of colorful rubber bands for Emma.

"Tell her to go on YouTube and see how to do it with her fingers," she continued, making sure Emma would have the instruction she would need to make her bracelets.  I was so impressed, not only by her overflowing generosity, but by the fact she wanted to make sure Emma would know how to make the bracelets as well.

The night before we were to leave, I was packing in our room and Erin came in to chat.  She climbed up on the bed and we talked about this and that.  Suddenly, she raised up and said, "Oh, am I keeping you from anything?"

The maturity of that question coming from an eight-year-old astounded me.  There are many adults who don't have the courtesy or maturity to ask that question.  I could not reply in any other way except, "No, all I have to do is sit and chat with you."

Erin and JJ were great teachers even when they didn't mean to be.  Their sweet hearts and thoughts toward the Lord helped make them wonderful vehicles for His love, grace and tenderness.

After our time with Tom and JJ, we traveled to northern Georgia and stayed with Bryan and Peggy.  Once again, the hospitality and welcome shown to us was incredible.  Since Bryan had to work while we were there, we spent most of our time with Peggy.   We walked around her neighborhood and she graciously came with us while we ran some errands.  We chatted with her as she cooked delicious meals for us, and we then demanded the recipes.

I watched Peggy as she greeted people both in her neighborhood and around the general public.  Her response was always the same, a huge smile and a voice and tone that resonated genuine caring.  She was a model to me of thoughtfulness and caring to those around her.  She didn't just save that beautiful, big smile for her friends and neighbors, she showered it abundantly upon everyone she met.

Me and Peggy

Peggy made me feel welcome from the very first second.  It was as if we were sisters who had been separated from birth.  At one point, I felt so much at home, I just got down on the floor with their dog Sheba and loved on her, since our beagle Sparrow was back at home.  It didn't matter to me that I was sprawled out on the floor of the foyer or that I was becoming covered with tan dog hair. (That reminds me of a sign a saw in a store once, "Dog hair, the perfect fashion accessory.")

There is so much more I could write of how these women (and girl) impressed me, encouraged me and challenged me during our visit. (Tom, William and Bryan were also this way, but this post is all about girls!)

It is truly a blessing to fellowship with other women who love the Lord, strive to serve and please Him in all they do and live an example of that to all those around them.

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 

Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 

For you fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 

Being confident of this very thing, 

that He which hath begun a good work in you 

will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."  

Philippians 1: 3-6

The Season of Gifts

We are entering the season of gifts.

My family is already discussing what gifts we want to give to whom.  Our youngest daughter strives to not only pick out the most perfect gift for each person, but she considers the wrapping and presentation to be as important as the gift.  Often, her gifts are so beautifully wrapped, I almost hate to disturb it to get to the gift inside.

How would she feel if, after handing me a gift, I set it down, went to my purse and pulled out a handful of dollars to pay her for the gift.  I can tell you how she would feel. . .she would be hurt, she would be a bit ticked off and she would not understand why I felt I needed to pay for my gift.

From Merriam-Webster:
Gift:  something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation.

The first step in accepting a gift is acknowledging it is a gift, that there is no compensation needed.  In fact, if we give compensation for a gift, then it has become not a gift, but a wage. . .something we have earned.

We accept by faith that the person is willingly giving us whatever the gift is to be used for our enjoyment, use or benefit and we owe them nothing in return.  How like our God who is infinite in mercy, grace and love to make our salvation not something we must strive to attain, but rather a gift freely given.

"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Romans 5:15,18

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

During this Christmas season, each time we see a gift, let us use that as a trigger to thank the Lord for His glorious gift of salvation, for the most wonderful Gift we could have ever been given - His dear Son, and for the eternal life which has been given to us through His life, death and resurrection.

Power of an Endless Life

Have you ever noticed that the older your cell phone batteries are the shorter they hold their charge?

Keeping our phones charged can be a real challenge. I actually have extra batteries for both mine and Glen's phones because we use them so often during the day for the things we do.

For my last birthday my son gave me an external battery.  It can charge my cell phone two or three times and it can charge my tablet as well.  It has been such a great help to me when I needed some power and my phone is warning me of it's upcoming demise.

There is One, however, who has infinite power.  Greater still, it is said of Him that He has the "power of an endless life."

"And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.  For He testifieth, 'Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.' "
Hebrews 7: 15-17

My tiny little brain cannot begin to fathom the depths of that phrase, "the power of an endless life."  To think of an endless anything is difficult, even it it were something pleasant.  But to consider the power of an endless life. . .that truly is amazing.

As Christians, we have been promised everlasting life.  The Scriptures tell us this, in perhaps the most loved and well-known verse in all the Bible:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

But our lives will not be "endless" because they have a beginning.  There was a point --for me on September 2, 1957-- when we "began."  Christ has no such beginning.  Before His incarnation as a human, He lived in eternity with His Father and the Holy Spirit in perfect unity.

Christ has no beginning. He has no ending.

An endless life, indeed.