He Doesn't Give Up

Jeremiah 4:3-4
This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:

“Break up your unplowed ground
    and do not sow among thorns.
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
    circumcise your hearts,
    you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire
    because of the evil you have done—
    burn with no one to quench it.

An angry sky loomed overhead.

As we drove, the sky turned gray and the clouds rolled. Tim commented that the sky looked angry. Indeed, it did. No sun peeked through, only gray. The sky darkened the further we drove, and within the hour the clouds burst with torrential rain.

I've been reading the book of Jeremiah, which is not warm and fuzzy. It's full of anguish—God's anguish over Jerusalem and the Israelites. They had turned their back on God and gave their attention to the idols they created. As I was reading, I understood and recognized God's deep feelings for these people.

I write a lot about how much God loves us, and He does, more than we can comprehend. Along with the emotion of love, God feels all the other ones, like anger, frustration, and hurt. He made us in His image, with all the feels, so of course He experiences the same emotions.

God and the Israelites had journeyed together for years. He'd saved them so many times, yet they turned on Him and chose to sin rather than follow God. His righteous wrath was well founded and His heart broke over these people who betrayed Him. Sounds kind of familiar. God sees similar behavior out of people today that He saw from the Israelites, yet even in His anger and hurt, He longs for us to turn to Him and seek forgiveness.

Later in the chapters, He offers to forgive the Israelites if they will repent. He doesn't give up on them regardless of how they made Him feel. God's heart breaks over people, yet He loves fiercely.

Seek God. Turn to Him and give Him your heart.

This Old House

Proverbs 24:3-4

By wisdom a house is built,
    and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures.

I’ve lived in 14 different homes in my lifetime.

When I was young, my parents sometimes took us for a Sunday drive to look at houses. We rolled along rural roads and through small towns. From that experience, I learned to appreciate the architecture of older homes. Some with fancy ginger breading and others with simple porches attracted my attention. To this day, I enjoy seeing some of the interesting houses in our travels.

Of the 14 different houses I’ve lived in, some of my favorites were the old farmhouses. They have so much character. I loved imagining what stories they could tell. From the farm wife toting in eggs from the chicken coop to the child sitting on her dad’s lap at the end of the day. Life was breathed into the home. Love, laughter, dinner around the kitchen table, cousins piling in, and the dog laying by the hearth. My mind weaves a tale of joy. However, I also know some houses heard the rough voices of arguing and anger. They felt the trembling of fear and sorrow. Those homes break my heart.

I also see the houses, who abandoned over time, have the life sucked out of them. They look tired, run-down, weary, and sad. I wonder at the stories they could tell.

As I compare a house or home to life lived, I see the same thing. Many people are filled with joy, peace, and love. While others may be angry or fearful or live a weary, sad life.

I could have been any of those three. We all could, but when I accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow and love Him, my life found the joy, love, and peace I longed for. Even in times of sadness and difficulty, Jesus’ love carries me. I no longer live as a slave to fear, anger, sadness, and sorrow. Instead, Jesus poured His love and grace into me and loves me more than I could imagine.

I want my home to be a place of love and peace, reflected in Jesus, just as I want my life to shine for the Lord.

Does your home reflect Jesus’ love? Does your life?

The Struggle is Real

Psalm 30:11-12

You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

This week my anger flared.

Tim and I are doing well. We fill our days and enjoy each other's company. We're thankful we have a safe place to live and food on the table. Yet, my anger toward this COVID-19 virus reached a peak this week. I'm grieving the fact that I can't see my family, hug my children, or play with my grandkids. Tim and I can't go out for dinner at a restaurant. We can't attend church with the congregation. I walk in my neighborhood, but fear I might catch the virus. As I wallowed in my discontent, my fibromyalgia flared and made me even more miserable.

That was Tuesday.

On Wednesday, hope filled my heart. The ire dissipated and joy sang out. So often, I must walk through the darkness before I appreciate the light. As they say, "The struggle is real." Our mental health is being tested. So is our faith.

Dale Chihuly glass art  

Maybe anger eats at you, depression dogs your days, or anxiety attacks. I've suffered them all through the stay-at-home corona days. But I've also experienced joy through the Holy Spirit. When I get over myself and hand my cares to God through prayer, the Spirit fills my soul with joy and a peace that passes understanding. When I stop to thank God for my circumstances and ask Him to forgive my selfishness, he turns my grumbles into dancing, my grief into joy. I'm so grateful that God loves me even when I'm unlovable.

As my faith grows and stretches, I praise God for his continued love and grace.

How have you dealt with all the baggage of these stay-at-home times?
Are you taking care of yourself?
Physically, mentally and spiritually?

Even a few minutes in God's word and in prayer eases the stress.