Shedding Skin

     I found a fully shed skin from a snake recently.  It was a rather ghostly object lying on the ground.  I have found a snake’s skin before, but it wasn’t whole.  This is the first one I have found that literally looks like a snake—it has a mouth and eye holes.  I can picture its inhabitant very easily.

 

      The skin also tells a story of not just a previous occupant, but what a struggle it was to release this skin.  The skin is twisted, like a loose corkscrew.  It tells that the inhabitant had to struggle to shed this skin.  It had grown too small for the snake and at some point, the shedding began.

       It must have taken awhile, and how vulnerable a snake must be while the process is underway.  As the snake is twisting and turning, and the skin is slowly coming off, the snake is most likely not able to defend itself.  A snake’s usual method of defense is a quick retreat under the bushes.  Or, if it has no easy cover to take refuge under, it coils and strikes.  

      But a snake shedding its skin probably can’t do either, and must patiently await the moment when it can slither away from its previous covering—larger and older and now ready to face the world.   A Scripture comes to mind here—look at 2 Corinthians 5:17-22: 

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

     Interesting, isn’t it?  When we accept Jesus into our heart, He is in the business of making us new:  new attitudes, new heart and new desires.  Of course, the old person is still there, but we are slowly being made into the image of Christ: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29)  In order to be conformed into the image of His Son, we have some serious shedding to do.

     We find the skin we’re in too tight after a while:  we can’t move forward to those areas that He is calling us to.  Then the shedding begins and once we leave certain attitudes, desires and behaviors behind, we find this new skin gives us freedom to love and serve Him.

     But just as the snake must shed its skin many times over its lifetime, so must we shed our skins periodically, to grow in Him and become ambassadors for Him, to be part of the reconciliation process that He is offering to the world.  Reconciliation occurs first between us and God, and then reconciliation takes place between us and others.

     But just as the skin I found shows a struggle, our conforming into His image is not an easy or quick process.  He gives us the strength , but we must have the will to endure the twisting and turning.  I couldn’t stand there and just tear the skin away from the snake—I would injure it.  Part of the shedding process is exertion and it makes the snake stronger.

     It is challenging to exert control over our wills to move away from those things that impede our walk with Christ.  Paul likens it to a race:  “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-4).

     But Christ is faithful to the process: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6).

     Once we leave our “skin” behind, we need not return to it.  It no longer fits, and we know that He is faithful to us.  The snake was no where to be found when I found its old skin.  And why would it?  It was free.  So, too are we:  “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36).

     Don’t be discouraged by life’s trials:  maybe your “skin” is getting too small and freedom is just ahead!

Prayer

Lord of All:  My “skin” is too small—I know this because I don’t have the freedom I long for in You.  Help me to be patient, and accept the twists and turns as old skin tears away.  Let me realize that beauty lies beneath, and that You will “provide for those who grieve...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” (Isaiah 61:3).  In His Name Who is sufficient for me, amen.

Bird Feeders and Creation

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. 

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  

 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not much more valuable than they?   

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”  (Matthew 6:25-7)

     I have always love this Scripture about our Heavenly Father feeding the birds and the beauty of the flowers, and if He cares for such small things,  how much more are we to God and how much He cares for us. 

     Yet, one day, while I was watching all of these sparrows gathered at my bird feeder, it struck me:  am I part of how my Heavenly Father feeds the birds?  The Scripture says that He feeds them, yes, but it doesn’t say how He feeds them. 

     Of course, one could argue that seeds and insects abound, and the birds can always find something to eat.  And yet, they come to my feeder.  It’s easier than chasing a bug.  I keep my feeder full and so a bounty of seed is always waiting for the birds.  So, am I a part of how God is taking care of His creation?

     Then this led me to ponder two points about God's personality and how He works.  First:  He cares for His creation.  He didn’t set it into motion and then stepped away into a far corner of the universe with other matters on His mind.  He is mindful of His creation, mainly us:  “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 8:4)   

     I fill my feeders as often as I can--I am mindful of the birds that visit it, and if it is empty, I feel that I have neglected them.  I am imperfect, yet we bear the stamp of our Creator, and if I worry about such things, how much more does my Heavenly Father take time and concern for those He loves?

     Secondly, He uses us to achieve His work on this planet.  We are His hands and feet, and if we don’t go, then the work building His kingdom is delayed.  He will find any method He can to reach out to us, but we forgo His blessings if we are not dutiful to His call.  He may call someone else, but we each have a unique set of skills and influence that we may exert, and He wants us to go forward, with the prayer of Isaiah on our lips:  “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”(Isaiah 6:8).

     Then, if you draw those two ideas together, even the smallest of things--a smile, a helping hand, a card, an offer of prayer--can take on epic proportions, for we are working hand in hand with the Creator to bring His love to a hungry world.   

     The world is hungry for peace--we serve the very Prince of Peace.  

     It is hungry for bread--we serve the very One who calls Himself "the Bread of Life."  

     It is thirsty for refreshment:  we serve the very One Who calls Himself "Living Water."   

     But we shrink away, and say, "I am not all that important, or all that influential."  Really?

     If you think you are not important, don’t fill up a bird feeder for a while.  The little birds gather and look around.  I see them through the kitchen window, reminding me that I have a job to do.  It’s a simple one, but remember what happens when you put a few loaves and a few fish into His hands?  You can feed thousands!

Prayer:

Dearest Father:  Help me not to underestimate my contribution to the world, lest I fail You in even the smallest of ways.  You built Your church one person at a time, and I can do no less.  Help me not to shrink away but realize that by placing my hand into Your hands, anything is possible!  To You be the glory!  Amen.

Where Do You Hide?

“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” (Psalm 94:1)

     We all need to take refuge.  When the sun goes down, the birds roost and it grows quiet.  Why do we think we can be different, always worried and thinking but never resting?  We all need a place to hide, but this baby praying mantis is a good example of where not to hide:  inside a vise.  I am sure he thought this was a safe place to take refuge--perhaps, for now, it appears to be.  But look at the potential:  a turning of the handle will lead to one less mantis in the world.   He’s in a scary, unfamiliar place--our garage-- and he picked what he thought would be a place where his enemies couldn’t find him.  The irony is the very place he picked is an enemy.

       We are no different.  We hide in those things that the world says are safe:  working all the time, drinking, smoking, unhealthy relationships, sexual gratification…all seem safe for a while, because we consider ourselves in control of what we are doing.  We feel good and based our assurance on our feelings.  Remember:  Satan never advertises slavery as such.  He always markets slavery as freedom, and because we like being in control, we strike a bargain. 

     But if we could see what we are hiding in is truly slavery, surely we would avoid it.  But look at how Satan is categorized in the Bible:  “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  (1 Peter 5:8)  You wouldn’t go running to hide by a lion!  But a lion that is prowling is on the hunt, and you may not see the reality of that until it springs out of the grasses, claws extended and mouth wide open. 

    How many people have thrown away their lives with promiscuity, drugs and alcohol, when it all started innocently enough?  “I can put down any time I want” was what an alcoholic once told me, and I watched as the decades and abuse took their toll and rendered him eventually homeless and battling mental illness.  We become enslaved to what we hide in, because it becomes harder and harder to face the world without our hiding place--it’s no longer a temporary refuge.  It takes over and the chains on our hands and feet rattle louder and louder over time. 

     But look at our verse from the Psalm:  hiding in God has two purposes:  one is to restore us, the other to prepare us to fight and go out to be victorious. 

    The first part is seeking refuge under His wings of love and protection.  I once saw a Canada goose at a park, on the walkway, with her wings loosely tucked at her sides.  Then I noticed a tiny beak sticking out, and then out popped a little head.  Under her wings were several wee ones, all safe and secure.  They were looking out at a big world with the assurance that Mama was there to protect them.  It is no different with God:  we need to hide under His wings for a time, to watch the world and to be assured that He is there to protect us.

     The second part of the verse switches imagery to that of warfare:  He is faithful to stand by us and now we can fight:  we have His shield of faith and a rampart of safety from which to see the battle and respond accordingly.  No more hiding:  we go out in a victorious manner, knowing Who our Commander-in-Chief is, and from the vantage point of the rampart, we can see that Devil-Lion hiding in the grasses, waiting to tear us apart.

     Be careful where you hide:  the world is like a vise, squeezing the life out of us.  We need to take refuge in the One Who loves us, and then with His battle plan and His power, go out and face our world. 

Prayer

Precious Jesus:  I hide myself away in places that will eventually enslave me.  Help me to take time to be with You and seek Your Face and know that Your wings are there for me to hide under.  But I don’t want to stay away from the challenges:  they need to be faced, and with Your shield, I can face the battle each day.  In Your Wonderful Name, amen.

    

 

Our Little Brown Bat

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”  (Ezekiel 33:11)

 

      We had a sad little visitor last week.  A small bat was lying on its stomach face-down on our front porch.  Clayton had just left for work and came running back in to tell me that he thought the bat was dead, and he had tried to move it, but it had raised its head and opened its mouth and clicked angrily at him.  He took this picture.  

     Later, I went outside, and stared at it for a long time, seeing if it was breathing.  I couldn’t see any rise and fall of its little back, so I went to the garage to get a dust pan and a brush.

     I walked over to it, gave it one gentle sweep and it lifted it head and opened its mouth quite wide.  It had an impressive set of teeth and the interior of its mouth was bright red (yes, Dracula came to mind).  I apologized and felt rather hopeful that all he needed was to rest. 

     I went out a few hours later, hoping the warm sun would heal the little guy and he would be gone.  Sadly, no.  I couldn’t see any sign of respiration, and the gentle sweep of the brush yielded no reaction.  Then it struck me: how sad.  This little guy probably had gotten disoriented, wearily landed on our porch and died of exhaustion.  I felt very bad for him; the suffering of little things affects me very much and I stood over him, feeling very helpless.  I didn’t know what I could have done—probably nothing—but that did not lessen the sadness of having watched something small die.

     I went online and found out that our wee visitor is called a Little Brown Bat.  If bats are brown, they are crevice-dwellers and if they are lighter in color, they dwell in trees.  This little guy was chocolate brown.  I later talked to my neighbor and he said that the fire last month must have displaced the bats, because now he has four or five of them flying around his house.  He loves that they take out all the flying insects around his house.

     Then it struck me:  this little guy may have struck out in the wrong direction (perhaps in pursuit of an insect?) and then got disoriented.  Exhausted, he landed on our porch. 

     If I could stand on my porch and fret over the life of this one little bat, how much more so does God hover over His creation and grieve at the death, destruction and sin of the ones He loves?  Do we picture a God Who gleefully watches sinners fall, and then walks away with a “you get what you deserve” kind of attitude?  Or do we see God as the unconcerned, watching from a distance kind of Parent, Who doesn’t want to be bothered with His children’s misery?  Do we see God as helpless, that He can’t or won’t intervene? 

     Remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:8-11:   ^“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?   If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”   
     This tells me three important things about God: He is hidden in plain sight:  He is accessible, but expects us to seek Him and be actively pursuing Him—He is not a divine Waiter where we snap our fingers and there He is.  Secondly, He is waiting to bestow good things upon us:  He wants our obedience, just as an earthly father wants obedience from his children.  He is eager to then release His loving kindness upon us.  And finally, we are flawed creatures, yes, but we recoil at suffering and want goodness to prevail: He, Who is without flaw, wants the best for us.  

     He wants our spirits to be whole and walking in His light.  He does not rejoice when we fly upon His porch, exhausted and perhaps very close to giving up.  He hovers over us and unlike me, where I could do nothing for my little bat, He is desirous to extend His hand of mercy and comfort. 

     Does that mean we will never again get disoriented, exhausted or unable to cope?  No, but He walks beside us, giving us strength and wisdom to face each day’s challenge.

Prayer

Precious Father:  Sometimes I am exhausted, and just want to settle down on a porch and let it all go.  Please remind me that You stand over me, and help me to let it all go: to You.  I may not rise up right away, but it is in Your Presence that I will draw comfort for another day.  Amen.

Are You Swinging on Your Perch?

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

so that, having been justified by his grace,

we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

 (Titus 3: 4-7)

     What is fun about having birdfeeders is watching the little ones show up.  The mama birds know where the goodies are.  I have been used to seeing all sorts of finches and sparrows happily dining at the feeders in the early morning and in the early evening.  But recently, I have see a bunch of young finches trying to figure out this whole birdfeeder thing.

     It’s not as easy as it looks.  If you don’t hang on the perch correctly, it’s hard to stay stable enough to put your wee beak into the hole and get the seed!  Think about trying to eat a plate of spaghetti on a wind-tossed ship and you get the idea!  The little ones know the seed is there and you can tell they are excited, but the actual mechanics elude them. 

     I watched one little guy who just couldn’t seem to get his footing right on the perch and keep swinging back and forth.  I could see a thought-bubble over his head:  “Nummies are so close…yet soooo far…whoa…”  He kept hopping about on the perch and then finally, his little feet were positioned correctly and no more swaying!  Then he could stick his little beak into the hole and find those elusive nummies!

     Not so different than the Christian walk, isn’t it?  We know where God’s goodness is--in His Son, in His Word and in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and yet, we just can’t get our footing right.

     Why are our feet not correctly positioned on the perch?  Maybe we have unconfessed sin in our lives.  Position your feet correctly with 1 John 1:9:  

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 

     Maybe God is chastening us to improve our character and remind us of our utter need for Him.  Position yourself with Proverbs 3:11-12: 
^“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”

    Consider that your “footing trial” is to draw you deeper into Him to build your character.  Position yourself with James 1:2-4: 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

     Perhaps you are just weary, and need to be in His healing presence.  Position yourself with Matthew 11;29-30:  
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

     How we endure the times of unsure footing becomes a testimony of Him working in our lives.  Position yourself on Psalm 40:1-3: 

¹ I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

     Ultimately, if what we are seeking is peace, we need to go to the right "Feeder":  the very Prince of Peace Himself, Jesus Christ.  If we humble ourselves before Him, He will position us and we will be nourished in His Presence.  We will still lose our footing occasionally, but Christ is always in the business of restoring and healing souls. 

Prayer

Precious Lord:  There are days I just can’t seem to get my footing right.  Help me to be honest in my search as to why, and then to rest assured that You will reposition me so I may have life, and have it abundantly.  In Your precious Name, amen.

     

Black to Green

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

     I have been away for a while, but it’s good to be back.  I am blessed that people read my blog and find some peace and meaning in it. 

     Unfortunately, I had a delayed reaction to the fire we had in our neighborhood in mid-July, and was afflicted with extreme nausea (not an uncommon symptom of anxiety).  My doctor thought it was an ulcer and the medicines I was given made me extremely ill and sent me several times into the emergency room.  I now suffer from anxiety attacks and I must go on some medications to control the symptoms.

      Talk about a derailment!  I cannot teach this semester, and I am quite amazed how things turned out so differently than what I thought I would be doing right now.  Again, that fire in mid-July comes to mind:  one moment the hills are lush with summer grasses, quails running about and hawks overhead—then the next thing I know, I am being asked to evacuate from my home!  I drive to the other side of the canyon and I watch fearfully as the firefighters and helicopters battle the fire.

       The land is still quite blackened.  I forget how ugly it is until I drive down the road, come around the corner and there it is…blackened trees and skeletal shrubs and black dirt with a dash of red—the fire retardant is still on the ground.

     There is no forgetting that we had a fire, that’s for sure.  But something amazing has been happening over the last few weeks.  Small green shoots have been growing at the base of the blackened trees.  Thin green blades of grass have sprung up in the blackened dirt and new spring green leaves have  appeared on trees whose leaves were scorched brown by the heat of the fire.

      I am stunned that even in the middle of the ugliness comes new life—green and hopeful, determined and lively.  This landscape has become a metaphorical landscape for anyone who has suffered loss, and believes that the ugliness will become all that is left to gaze upon.  Not so, says the Lord.

     Jesus said that “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)   Do you notice that?  He doesn’t just give life, He gives it to the full.  But it’s a process.  The trees around here haven’t suddenly all turned green again and the ground carpeted with grasses.  I see tender shoots, green leaves and delicate blades that have taken hold, slowly but surely.  Soon our hillsides won’t just be dotted in green but will be fully arrayed with life and growth.

    It’s no different with us.  I have had my “hills” burned—so have many of you—but I am looking for the tender green shoots.  I have found it in cards sent to me, encouraging emails, hugs, prayers from my church family and mother-in-law, good advice from my daughter and son-in-law, calls from my son and a loving husband who has stood by me through all this. 

     My “hills” are not green yet…but I have hope as I look out my window, and as I look into the face of the Lord, whose love never fails.

Prayer

Life isn’t easy, Lord, and the sudden fires take our breath away.  Our lives go into different directions, but I know that You hold my world in Your hands.  Your love never fails.  

In Your precious Name, amen.