Life advice from a cutie!

"I'll be right there with you."  My daughter-in-law tried to soothe my sobbing granddaughter as I held her.  I was visiting on "grandma duty" to help out.  Yet my granddaughter only wanted her mom and dad.  While her momma held her, she would smile and giggle at me but the instant I held her she melted into a puddle of tears.

It's no coincidence that I read Deuteronomy 31:23 that morning.  God tells Joshua, the next leader of Israel, who will actually lead them into the Promised Land, to be strong and courageous.  God also reminded Joshua that He would be with him.

In my journal I jotted down action steps on how to be strong and courageous.  Decide to be strong. Believe in the mission. Never waiver. Believe.

Then I read this verse in The Message and there were the same words I heard my daughter-in-law use to reassure her daughter, "I'll be right there with you."  In The Message I am reminded to be strong, take courage, lead the way and God will be right there with me.

My granddaughter could have courage as long as she was held in her momma's arms, clutching the collar of her momma's shirt. 

I will have courage to face the world when I remember that I am safe in the arms of God.  I am reminded that I need to get a better grip on God (just as my granddaughter grips her momma's shirt).  The tighter I hold onto God, the stronger I will be and the more courage I will have.

Thanks, you little cutie, for a good lesson for life.

 

My Playlist

"Two sets of three and a four card run."  A Mullin family song we all sing when playing a rummy game.  When we teach newcomers the game we include the song.  Most people listen and smile with a curious stare.  This card game has a different combination each hand.  We announce it before each hand yet my great aunt Margaret would often get confused and save whatever was the last hand.  She would become frustrated and accuse us of changing the rules.  We made up the little verse with a tune for this one hand.  For nearly fifty years our family has sung this little song as we play to remind us of  Aunt Margaret and the challenge of change.

Deuteronomy 31: 1-22 reminds me of the importance of listening and learning to cope with change.  Moses wrote down the law for the priests and elders and instructed them to gather the people every 7 years in the Year of cancelling debt during the Feast of Tabernacles and to read the law. 

I imagined this year of debt cancellation as a time to rejoice for all those who had debt removed but maybe it was a difficult time for the creditors.  Their income was adversely affected. At times of rejoicing and times of challenge these verses remind me to listen and learn the Word so I can carefully follow it.

God instructed Moses to teach the people the song that would help them in times of change and disaster.  God warned Moses that the people would fall away in the Promised Land.  They would prostitute themselves to the foreign gods and He would become angry and turn away from them.  After disaster and difficulty they would ask "did all this happen because God is not with us?" (DUH, yeah... God has already told them several times what would happen! Sorry I just wanted to "vent" a bit.)  "The Song" was to be a witness, a reminder, to them to prevent their falling.  God knew before they even got to the Promised Land that there would be benefits and challenges.  There would be dangerous temptations that would cause the Israelites to stray.

I have lots of little verses in my head.  Some from the world tell me to "protect my stuff" "go for the gusto" and "It's all about me."  Some from my family "in the span of eternity how important is this?" "that's fine for you" and "careful what you speak, you can't take it back."  Some I've learned from my life experience "It's my choice to laugh or cry."   "I'm not going there." "It will be OK."

What songs come from God and remind me to listen and learn and carefully follow?  "This is not my home."  "HE holds my right hand." "I will never leave or forsake you."  "God knows." I like to have a collection of songs ready to address my needs during change, disaster and challenge because, Duh, life happens! 

Often in the morning I wake up with a verse in my head.  I try to focus on the  phrases from worship songs but sometimes those TV commercial jingles come through.

I will start a section in my notebook, and call it "My Life Playlist" to record those "little songs" to have ready for Life. I will add new "songs" to My Life  Playlist as I study God's word and listen.

Today I, again, resolve to listen to the songs from God. Even though the world's songs may be louder,  God's songs are eternally beneficial.

The Color of Courage

"When I grow up I want to be Edythe."  Edythe was old enough to be my mom.   She wore pearls, ruffles and skirts. I wore t-shirts, jeans and flip flops.  She had a warm and welcoming smile. She oozed grace and charm.  When I spoke she listened intently and always made me feel important.  So if she was leading an event, I was there.  I believed in the quality of anything Edythe was involved. 

I was a young pastor's wife looking for a role model.  Edythe was a wonderful example of a great partner for her husband.  She also demonstrated her deep and abiding faith.  I realized it wasn't her pearls or her grace and charm that I should imitate. The most important thing I learned from Edythe was life was about relationship with God.  It permeated her life and was evident to all.

"Joshua to Succeed Moses" is the section  heading in my Bible for Deuteronomy 31:1-8.  In those verses Moses does remind the Israelites of the good news and the bad news.  The bad, Moses will not be going to the Promised Land.  The good, Joshua will lead them over to the Promised Land and God will lead them to victory and give them the land.  Moses' words of wisdom to the Israelites was to be strong and courageous because God goes with them, always.  God will never leave or forsake them.

After my first read of these verses, I did jot in my journal "Moses passes the torch of leadership to Joshua."  Yet today these verses speak to me about courage and strength.  The declaration to be strong and courageous is frequent in this book.  It seems as though it is a command to be obeyed.

Today these verses remind me that strength and courage may not just be acts of obedience but the result of relationship with God.   The bedrock of strength and courage is my belief in God's constant love and care for me. 

The world tells me that strength and courage come from my grit and endurance.  I've often failed at summoning grit and endurance on my own.  I am quick to admit in some areas of my life I "have a yellow streak down my back."  Fear too often dominates me.

These verses assure me that courage does not come from my grit and determination but from my faith in God and in His Love, Might and Glory.  True Grit is living and walking in my relationship with God.  Courage and strength come from my dependence on The Eternal.

To obtain the Promised Land, the Israelites had to believe God would give it to them and to follow Him.  They lost the land when they started to rely on themselves and follow their own ways.

On the threshold of the greatest gift the Israelites would ever possess, the Promised Land, Moses was pointing them to God, as their leader and  giver.  He knew they would be challenged with this new experience and Fear would be their enemy.  The best defense against fear was to have a solid belief in God, who and what He was, is and will be.

I need to believe and walk, follow and depend.  That is my source of strength and courage.

I am going to think of the color yellow in the midst of fear as my reminder to believe God.

Y es, God is able to handle my challenge.

E xpect God to never leave or forsake me.

L ove God.

L ook to God.

O nly God knows.

W hy am I afraid with God going ahead and with me?