Amazed

Pilialoha.  The theme of my brother's toast at his daughter's wedding.  It means "beloved".  I had to look up the meaning because I couldn't remember.  I was amazed and astonished when my brother gave the explanation.  This was my younger brother, he was never littler than me.  He followed me down the sledding trail.  He was the annoying brother who would put his foot across the imaginary line  Dad created across the backseat so he wouldn't "have to stop the car" when we both were bugging each other.  And he was that little boy who bought me jewelry like the dog pin I still have.

This little brother had a daughter who was getting married.  He'd started and sold companies, managed people and budgets and led spiritual retreats!  He had experienced Life's challenges and found solace in God and His good gifts. Where had the  years gone?  Why was I surprised?

In Mark 1:21-28 the people in the synagogue at Capernaum were amazed at Jesus' teaching.  He taught with authority, so much authority that an evil spirit possessing a man challenged Him.  Jesus commanded the evil spirit to be quiet and to come out.  It obeyed.  The people were amazed at His "new" teaching and that His order to the evil spirit was obeyed!

Why were they so amazed?  Jesus was announcing that what they had long awaited had come.  God heard their petitions and He was here.

These verses reminded me that change is hard.  Change is hard because I am confronted with the realization that I am not the center of the universe.  Life goes on, not just for me, but all around  me.  When I go on vacation I rarely read a newspaper or follow the news, yet the news happens.  The world does not stop just because I do.

God is continually at work around me.  He's at work.  I'm the one not paying attention so I'm the one who is astonished and amazed at what God is doing in my life and everyone else!  God has a Plan for the world, everyone else, my brother and  me.  He is amazing!

I am not the center of the universe.  God is the center of the universe and He is Amazing!

If the evil spirits recognize and obey, why don't I?  He is AMazing!

I need to be like the people in Capernaum and tell everyone, so the Good News will spread throughout the region because He is AMAzing!

Life may change around me but God remains the same.  Always at His work, He is AMAZing!

God hears us. God is here now. He is AMAZING!

 

Like Right Now!

"Oh you mean right now?"  I was standing at the airline counter checking in a group of women for a series of international flights.  The agent had told me some of the tickets were "waitlisted" for one of the legs of our journey.  He seemed calm about it so I thanked him for the information. He looked up at me and repeated, "some of your party are waitlisted."  I then asked what that meant.  He was very matter of fact, "They don't have tickets."   "Ok, what do I do?"  "Call your travel  agent."  Again, I replied "OK."  He repeated the instruction to call my travel agent and the realization came to  me, this must be urgent.  I was slow to understand and respond in this situation. 

In Mark 1: 16-20, Peter, Andrew, James and John were quick to respond to Jesus' call to follow Him and become fishers of men.  They were working their fishing nets when Jesus sees them and invites them to come with Him.  Matthew and Mark describe their decision to follow Jesus as immediate, without delay and at once.  Luke gives a bit more background.  These disciples heard Jesus teach from Simon Peter's boat.  They saw Him provide a huge catch of fish.  When Jesus invited them to "become fishers of men" they left everything and followed Him.  They left jobs and families.  They left security and the known for the unknown.

In a world that teaches us to know everything before we make a decision, I find it intriguing that these men were so quick to make such a life changing decision and follow Jesus.  Have I ever been so quick to follow Jesus?

I thought about these men.  They were hard working.  It sounds like they had to fish all night and part of the morning for their income.  They were loyal.  They worked with their families.

They were open, especially to spiritual matters.  They must have had questions and longings and when they heard Jesus they knew He had the answers.  I doubt they understood the answers Jesus later gave them but they just knew He was  The Way.

I'm learning to be spiritually open in a similar way.  I have access to plenty of facts in the Bible.  I just need to spend time in the Bible learning.  Jesus gave us the Spirit to be our daily companion. To remind us, to guide us, to be Jesus' voice.  I'm learning that when I get the feeling, "this is Jesus", I need to respond without delay, at once, immediately.  I don't need the facts or the why.  I need to follow Jesus.

There is a better way to live than knowing all the information and details.  The better way is to know Jesus, His teachings and His Voice.  I have learned that Jesus loves me and invites  me to the best life.  My choice is to follow immediately, at once, without delay, like right now!

It's about Time!

"Do you have a Ford Villager on the lot?  Is it green? We'll take it!"  We ambushed the young car salesman as soon as we exited The Lemon.  We were desperate to regain our plan.  We had strayed.  We learned  our lesson and wanted to get back to the plan.

We had a six month plan to purchase a new car.  For once (because we are both subject to impulse buying) we had shopped, discussed and budgeted. In six months we were going to buy a green Ford Villager. 

Soon after we made our plan our impulsive nature took control.  A fellow from church had just started selling used cars.  He called and had a "great deal" for us. It was a fine looking car and it had lots of amenities. The price was right.  So we bought it.

I should have known that this was the wrong decision when the first morning the "new" car slept in our driveway I awoke to not one, but two flat tires.  The next 30 days were a series of strange sounds and finally a quaking of the front end.  That was the final straw.  My husband called and said, "Meet me at the Ford dealer. Right Now!"

We'd had a plan, a good plan and we ditched it for something else.  I remember this poor choice so in the future I will trust God's plans and His timing.

Mark 1:14-15 remind me that God has a timeline and not to rush it or stray from it.  After John was put in prison, Jesus went to proclaim the Good News. The Good News was the time had come for the Kingdom of God.

The Israelites had lived under another's rule for generations. It must have been great news to hear that the end of oppression was near.  Those living at this time must have realized that finally the time was right.  There had been rebels who tried to bring an end to Roman rule but none had succeeded in kicking the Romans out.  At this exact point in history Jesus was announcing it was time.  I'm sure many were eager to follow.

Yet I know that those living and hearing His words misunderstood.  They thought Jesus would kick the Romans out.  He would be their King. History and experience tell me that Jesus offers a different kind of kingdom.  The Israelites wanted freedom from the rule of the Romans.  The Kingdom of God offers each of us so much more than physical freedom.  God's Kingdom gives us freedom of the soul. 

Jesus came to pay the price for my attempts to control my life and my time.  If I just follow Him and choose to live in His Kingdom, following His time table and plan, I will be free from the oppressive state of the world.

God invented time, I did not.  God is in control of time, I am not.  God has a plan for me, a really, really good plan.  Why do I keep thinking I have a better way?  I continue to let the world tempt me with good deals and amenities.  I may think I need to "take my time" but I really need to accept and take God's time!

Finally, I am reminded that just as we rejoined our plan for the Ford Villager, God offers me the opportunity to rejoin His timeline at any time!  I just have to follow His plan.  He is merciful and loving and always awaits my decision to rejoin His work.  The consequences are of my own doing.  Yet God loves me in spite of them.  God loves me exactly as I am with poor choices and flawed timelines.

There is the freedom of the soul.  

Wild Animals

The comfort of wild animals.  People have said that it's hard to come home to an empty house but I learned that it is also hard to wake up in an empty house.  For 9 months my husband and I lived in separate households.  He had a "short-term" ministry in Idaho and I stayed home in Iowa.  Just before he left for Idaho we expanded the family by two puppies.  I know we were crazy getting two pups to train.  The two puppies were, and still are, wild, but those mornings alone were much easier because they were with me.  So I was not alone.

Mark 1:9-12 gives the order of events of Jesus' baptism and temptation.  The Gospel of Mark almost feels like it should have "bullet points" along with occasional vivid detail. 

Jesus came,

                was baptized,

                saw the Spirit descending on Him and

                heard a voice.  

Then He was

                sent to the desert,

                tempted by Satan, and

                was with wild animals and angels.

I was surprised by the wild animals in Mark 1: 9-12.  "Has that always been there?" I asked.  The other gospels do not mention wild animals and angels.  Mark doesn't give the details of the baptism and temptation of Jesus.  Matthew and Luke recount the dialogue between Jesus and Satan.  Mark showed me a misconception in my mind. I always thought of Jesus being alone.  Jesus was not alone. He was "with the wild animals and angels attended Him." (NIV)

Hebrews 4:15 tells me that Jesus understands my weaknesses and challenges because He's been there.  He's been human and in similar circumstances.   

He has been

                isolated,

                hungry and

                faced with opportunities to obey or not.

In my mind I related His temptation to facing circumstances alone.  Anytime Life delivers unpleasant circumstances I am faced with two perspectives, to find fault with God or to trust God, to trust myself or to follow God.

Jesus did face the temptations of

                hunger,

                power and

                self-importance. 

He chose to

                obey,

                trust and

                follow the plan immediately and completely. 

In a human sense, He was alone, just as I often am when Life delivers circumstances not of my choosing.  Yet He was not alone. 

He had the memory of The Voice affirming

                who He was (The Son of The Father),

                what He was (Loved) and

                how God felt about Him(well pleased).

Jesus faced these circumstances with wild animals.  Perhaps the wild animals provided additional unpleasant circumstances.  Or perhaps the wild animals weren't as wild I think since Jesus created them. He surely could have handled their wildness. (I'm sure He handled their wildness much better  than I handle the two wild puppies!)

Too often in Life I feel surrounded by "wild animals" that I cannot tame.  Someday I'll tame the two puppies! The "wild animals" remind me that I do not face the challenges of Life alone.  God has spoken to me and called me Loved, Chosen and Rescued.  I need to remember. 

God has never and will never leave me alone.  Jesus faced the temptations in the desert with angels. I face Life's circumstances with The Spirit, who is with me at all times.  I need to remember.

So when the "wild animals" of Life appear, I will remember

God calls to me to follow Him,

God loves me, and

God never leaves me alone.