“Thank you, Jesus”, says my aunt every time something good happens; a nice jacket goes on sale, a close parking spot becomes available, her bill was lower than she thought it would be. It can be easy to raise eyebrows because she isn’t shy about saying Thank You out loud, but I think she may be on to something. How often do I not give credit to God for something that goes on sale or for a close parking spot? Everything good that happens in life surely cannot be all coincidence, right? The more hectic my life is becoming, the more I am mindful of the handfuls of grace that come along and the more I say, “Thank you, Jesus”- out loud!
Here are a few stray gifts from September that I am thankful for:
My husband and I were out to eat one day and I noticed a young man reaching down to pick up a set of keys off the floor. A woman had just dropped her keys and hadn’t noticed. It was great to see some kindness spread.
Flowers from my dad!
Green lights all the way down Montana Avenue. I am not quite sure how that happened, but if you knew just how long that road is, you would be amazed too. I wasn’t in a hurry, but it was nice.
My husband had his right hip replaced in July. He has been able to help with dishes again after dinner in the last few weeks.
Speaking of hip replacement surgery, we thought he would have to wait until next year to have his left one done. The surgeon told him a few weeks ago that he felt John was strong enough to have the left one done soon. The date is set for October 21 and paperwork is going through much quicker this time between the VA and the surgeon’s office.
A tiny black and yellow bee in the yard. All I have seen are the big black carpenter bees, so the little one was nice to see since I am working to attract bees, butterflies, and birds through various plants.
A friend sent me a text with her very own stray gift through an unexpected healthcare rebate that will significantly help her financial needs. I love that she shared this with me and that she used the specific words, “stray gift”.
Other friends send me stray gift photos of their flowers, of sewing projects which turn out well, and of their surrounding scenery in a day which cause them to stop and say, “Thank you, Jesus”.
Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.
I am not interested in having an orchestra sound like itself. I want it to sound like the composer.
Leonard Bernstein, Composer from 1940-1990
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 1:6
Paul opens up the letter of Philippians by writing, “Grace be unto you, and peace; from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy…”(vs 2-4). I can’t imagine how I would feel if I opened up a letter that began with words like those. And to know that in every prayer of the letter’s sender, my name would be mentioned with joy. Paul goes on to say that he is confident of this: that God who began a good work will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. He is convinced that God is producing something good and that His purpose is underway for His people to go in a specific direction. Paul shares that the things which have happened to him in life have really just furthered the gospel and that because of this, more Christians are bold to speak about Christ and are not afraid.
So what does all that have to do with me and Grace Goals? God not only set in motion His plan for the believers at Philippi but also for every believer. “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”… He has put in motion a direction and will carry through until a future time when Christ comes again; a continual motion, an ongoing process.
I am not a finished product. And when I get frustrated with myself for not learning life’s lessons the first time, when I doubt God’s involvement in even the smallest of details, I need to be reminded that I am still learning and will always be growing and metamorphosing while on this earth. News flash: I have not arrived. ((sigh))–so much more growing to do. And I think, “What is God doing? What does He want me to do?”
I believe He wants me to listen to the whole symphony. By themselves, each instrument used in my life to shape me into His image would not make much sense and may seem to have no meaning or significance in the grand scheme of things. The music of His composition can only be recognized as beautiful when I pay attention to the combination of life events- trials and blessings alike. God is orchestrating the composition of my life and whatever good work He is doing, His plan is for His glory to be magnified in my body-faults and scars included. He is not interested in my life’s symphony sounding like myself. He wants me to sound like Him- the Composer Himself.
Faith must be tested because it can be turned into a personal possession only through conflict…the final thing is confidence in Jesus. Believe steadfastly on Him and all you come up against will develop your faith…Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us.
Oswald Chambers
We can face Monday and any other day in faith with confidence. When approached by two blind men crying for mercy, Jesus asked, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” and they answered, “Yea, Lord.” He then touched their eyes and told them that they would be healed according to their faith (Matthew 9:28). Pretty strong stuff.
According to my faith, how much can God do in my life?
According to my confidence in His power to heal, to change, to move mountains, how much can He do?
When my husband was trying to communicate to his VA doctor that his hip pain was more than arthritis, that the severe degeneration in his hips was causing great pain and discomfort affecting his ability to move and work, we did not know how long it would take for something to be done. God’s time frame and our time frame are often in different time zones. All the frustration we felt melted when we saw God’s hand in it all – the timing, the surgeon, the hospital, and even the physical therapy. How much time did I spend fretting and worrying instead of choosing to be confident that God knew everything and that He had a plan for surgery, for an amazing surgeon, and for a very helpful in-home physical therapist? Fretting and worrying are never a wise use of my time or energy.
While my husband cannot work at present, we are dependent on his VA disability medical benefits. Due to a complete hip replacement, the benefits should temporarily increase. We worried whether or not the increase in means would come in. It did. Not when we expected it to, but it came through. God came through.
He only asks for ‘faith as a grain of mustard seed’ (Matt 17:20). That does not sound too complicated, right? And yet, most times, I fret and worry, and I feel anxious. Does God fret? Does He worry? Is He feeling anxious?
Isn’t He all-wise, all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful? He is everything good and right and holy in times when I trust, and even when I choose not to.
Faith is stretching out my hand in confidence: ”Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief”. (Mark 9:24)
Remember the days when we went through a whole day without taking a photo? In this social media age, we can feel pressured to document every minute of our day and post it to Facebook, Instagram, and any other form of social sharing media. I thought I would share a few ‘stray gifts’ from the last few weeks without photos.
The last few weeks have been trying, to say the least. With my husband recovering from hip replacement surgery and my dad needing an impromptu knee surgery, life has been BUSY for me. I have been on the go every day taking either my husband or my dad to doctor appointments, sitting in waiting rooms, keeping the home together and dinner on the table. Because I was in the habit of looking for stray gifts, I was able to still notice the unexpected blessings in my days. It’s like the game of, “I spy with my little eye…”. Here is a list of some of the gifts I have ‘spied’ in the last few weeks:
A pretty little ladybug that landed on the car windshield after a long day. Seeing it made me stop and say, “Oh look!” to my son who was with me. Such cute little bugs, aren’t they?
We have had triple-digit temperatures here lately, but one morning I was up early and working in the yard. I remember the nice cool breeze, the windchimes gently chiming, and the peace of feeling comfortable for a bit outside.
One morning, I was RUSHED to get ready as an opportunity for a doctor appointment became available that day (for my dad’s knee/MRI). In my mad dash to shower and get ready, my son made me breakfast (and coffee!) and brought it upstairs so I could eat and prepare for the day at the same time. It’s tricky but doable. We had wanted to try a new recipe that morning and had already done the prep work the night before. He just finished making the French toast muffins by himself while I was getting ready for the day. Another morning, my husband cooked eggs for me while I was again hurrying to get out the door. Teamwork!
Rain! Twice in one week. That, truly, is a stray gift in these parts.
Did I mention I have been busy? One night, I slept for nine hours STRAIGHT! A miracle.
My son is home full time on break from college classes and for his twenty-third birthday, he and I did one of the things he loves best…we worked together in the kitchen making some of his favorite foods – breakfast pizza, homemade potato soup, and homemade crescent rolls.
When the MRI results came in for my dad that he did, indeed, need surgery on his left knee, surgery was able to be scheduled in one day. We quickly left the house for the hospital to register and the next day, he was on the operating table. The operation went well and now for the hard work of healing. No knee replacement was needed, but some repair work was in order. The surgery was this past Friday (August 16).
The afternoon of the surgery, after we came home from a long day, I was so tired. I went to bed around 5:00 PM (thinking I was just going to close my eyes for about an hour) and did not wake up until 1:00 AM. My husband and son thought to make me a sandwich ahead of time knowing I would wake up sometime feeling hungry. I was touched by their thoughtfulness.
I am thankful for butterflies, dragonflies, and bees spotted in our yard. For the scent of my basil in the breeze, for honeysuckle blooms, for yellow bells and climbing morning glories.
I am amazed at what wonderful meals can be made in a crockpot for busy days with just a few ingredients and a bit of creativity. There is nothing like a hot homemade meal, especially during the extra full seasons of life.
Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.
You never can measure what God will do through you if you are rightly related to Jesus Christ. Keep your relationship right with Him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you, and it is of His mercy that He does not let you know it…It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him.
Oswald Chambers
We can face Monday and any day with conviction.
The conviction that it is not up to us to change another person’s life. It is not our work, but the work of God.
The conviction that we do not live merely for ourselves, but that God is using us in whatever circumstances to pour living waters into someone else who is in need of mercy. We may not know how God is using us, but we can know His glory can shine in ways we may not expect.
The conviction that our life is not measured in terms of ‘usefulness’ by man’s standards, but by how much worth we put in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and what He has done and can do through us.
The conviction that we are frail and that nothing done in our own power will amount to much. Our emphasis should be on faith in God Himself and in the power He is willing to give if we only seek Him first.
LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am.
Last week, the city of El Paso was greatly shaken by the shooting which took place in a local WalMart. While the city is moving about more, there is still fear and uncertainty surrounding this horrific event. We have a choice as to how to move forward. We can let evil create panic, dismay, and even division or we can look for God’s light to filter through to show us a better way. As Christians, our faith is courageous when we choose to believe that God is not merely a light at the end of the tunnel, but that He is the Light guiding us through it. Courageous faith is believing in Him, that He is faithful during the easy days as well as the oh-so-hard-ones.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
When you find yourself facing an issue in your life, the purpose or reason or good thing that might come out of it being completely hidden from you–what do you do? Do you worry or fret, become preoccupied with the problem? Do you ignore it or avoid it? Do you complain about it, do you want to run away from it? Or do you see it as a situation in which you might be able to experience the power and grace of God at work? Do you watch for the work of God that is to be done in this situation?
from Patches of Godlight, by Jan Karon
In any situation, do I watch for the work of God or do I panic, doubt, and fear first? This month’s grace goals focus will be about faith and about being on the lookout for the power and grace of God. As for stray gifts, I thought I would wait to be surprised instead of having a specific theme.
Happy August and happy hunting for stray gifts in your life.
July’s blog theme has been about seeking what is necessary for this phase in life’s journey. I have written about letting go of items and emotions that no longer are of benefit in order to move forward effectively in life. To be mindful of the treasures I have and to manage them well has been a continuing work-in-progress.
We are but strangers and pilgrims on this earth and it would be wise to remember this in life. My journey is different than yours, but what we need for each journey is the same. Doubt? Fear? Despair? They have no place in the Christian’s heart. In letting go of excess effects and emotions, I am more able to carry steadfastly confidence, courage, and hope.
“We are not citizens of this world trying to make our way to heaven; we are citizens of heaven trying to make our way into this world. That radical Christian insight can be life-changing. We are not to live so as to earn God’s love, inherit heaven, and purchase our salvation. All those are given to us as gifts; gifts bought by Jesus on the cross and handed over to us. We are to live as God’s redeemed, as heirs of heaven, and as citizens of another land; the Kingdom of God…We live as those who are on a journey home; a home we know will have the lights on and the door open and our Father waiting for us when we arrive. That means in all adversity, our worship of God is joyful, our life is hopeful, our future is secure. There is nothing we can lose on earth that can rob us of the treasures God has given us and will give us.”
Borrowed from Patches of Godlight by Jan Karon
July’s Stray Gifts: Red, White, Blue, The Number Four
The two photos of red flowers are of our crepe myrtle tree and of oleanders. This crepe myrtle has been stepped on quite a few times by our dog running over it to catch a ball and by us when we were planting our Lady Banks rose bush nearby. I thought for sure we had killed it by now, but it’s still alive. I saw the oleanders on UTEP’s campus one day when I took Jonathan to class. Gorgeous! White and blue morning glories are gracing our yard now in various places. And there are four bunches of yellow bells on the bush. We planted them last year and they have come back in full force.
Family Update: My husband was operated on Monday, July 22, to have his right hip replaced. He was released from the hospital the next day. According to in-home care (the nurse, the physical therapy supervisor, and the physical therapist), John is doing really well. He is able to go up and down the stairs (with the aid of crutches) with no pain and moves around (carefully) well. After two weeks, he should be able to walk without the aid of his walker, feel less bruised from the surgery, and reduce pain medication. He will have in-home physical therapy five days a week for three weeks and a few weeks of therapy in another location afterwards, I believe. We are thankful for a successful surgery and are amazed by the difference in how he feels. He will still need the left hip replaced in time.
And now to the last in the series of entries on the topic: “Even Places”-
Third: A Step of Consciousness– Listen for the ‘Why’ to Clear the Chaos
A few years ago, when I came across the phrase in Psalm 26:12, “My foot standeth in an even place”, I had no idea how those seven words would be changing me over time. The last several blog posts have been about the journey to owning less stuff. My husband and I went through this a few years ago and I have been renewing purpose once again to evaluate items in our home. In this “Step of Consciousness”, part of seeking balance in life with stuff we owned was looking for why we had held on to excess clothing no longer worn, excess books we no longer read, excess stuff tucked away in boxes no longer needed or wanted, and excess emotions that weighed us down. We had kept these things through multiple cross-country moves over the years and knew if we ever moved again, carrying the excess baggage would be overwhelming. There are still more desk drawers to look through, clothing to be edited, and floor space to be cleared.
We had a few reasons for why we held on to things. On my part, I had saved clothes in hopes to wear my smaller-sized ones again. I had kept baby clothes in dreams to have another baby someday. I had hoarded items in boxes for sentimental reasons (even though I did not look in them often enough to be worth keeping). I had stored gifts given (that I did not need, but someone else could use) out of guilt. I had carried excess emotions and weight which held me back from growing strong physically and spiritually. While I have parted with quite a few boxes, books, and belongings in the last few years, I am ready to make strides in making more progress. These things take time (patience and wisdom, too)!
Seek peace and pursue it.
Psalm 34:14b
Part of Psalm 34:14 says, “Seek peace, and pursue it.” In finding balance in the last few years during major life changes and health challenges, this phrase had become a motto as well. Harmony with food/weight, finances, relationships, possessions is still on my mind and heart as I again go through this process of clearing space.
Answering the ‘why’ of holding onto not-needed/wanted items or emotions is a huge step in setting free possessions in life which are no longer of service. Whether the answer is guilt, emotional attachment or the task is too overwhelming to simplify, I had to face the issues head-on and let go to make any progress. I could not proceed forward to weight loss goals, to fewer distractions, and to simple living in the midst of disorder, confusion, and ‘mental fog’. As I look to streamline more, I seek to be reasonable in what our needs are in this phase of life.
It can seem a daunting task to clear out a closet, a room, a desk (a kitchen drawer, a garage, a shed, a dresser, a bookshelf…a.k.a. any avoided location) but once started, I find it usually does not take as much time as I thought it would. The key is to start. Sometimes I feel motivated to “cleanse” all at once. Other times, clearing or cleaning just three things immediately noticeable is about all I can do. Either method works!
I began the process a few years ago (and again recently) of finding peace by clearing excess e-mail subscriptions instead of trying to keep up with new recipes, exercises, and too many DIY projects. I stick to the meals my family knows and loves. I enjoy walking or rebounding for exercise and none of those crazy-energetic aerobic workouts. And I do NOT have the patience for DIY projects. I moved on to clearing just three things in a room at a time instead of stressing over trying to get it all done in one fell swoop during busy seasons.
Releasing ‘chaos’ by acknowledging what really matters helps me identify the beneficial in the present phase in life. Part of Hebrews 12:1 comes to mind about laying “aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” It takes physical effort (emotional and spiritual, too) to achieve the balance needed to move forward effectively. Excess stuff and emotions try patience, plague peace of mind, hinder productivity and limit the ability to make space for new and better things ahead.
My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
