The line for the drive-through was long, as usual, and I wasn’t any too patient by the time I gave my order at the speaker-phone. As I edged forward to pick up my coffee and breakfast sandwich, I was digging in my purse for money and not paying too much attention to where I was going. No, I didn’t bump into the car ahead of me, but I did not see what was going on around me either.

I didn’t see them until I was right in front of them - two little boys, perhaps four or five years old, dressed in identical blue shirts. They were blonde, with huge blue-eyes and toothless grins. They were waving with great enthusiasm as the cars filed by the large windows. My reaction was immediate – I burst into a smile of my own, laughed out loud in fact, and waved enthusiastically back. It was then I noticed that the crowd inside the restaurant was taking great delight in watching the reaction of those driving by. Everyone was smiling.

I imagine God’s delight at those two little boys, who, just by being themselves, brightened the day of everyone around them. I imagine He was pleased because they were just being who He had made them to be – a blessing to others.  

We delight Him in that way too. He has made us to be a blessing to one another, as the writer of Ephesians said – “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10). Every time we bless someone around us, He is blessed. 

It doesn’t take much – often just a smile or an encouraging word is enough to turn someone’s day from gray to glorious. All we have to do is be who we were made to be. Those two little boys were doing it. We can too.

 

 

 

Longevity

What do you want others to remember about you?

That’s what Cyndy Salzmann asked on her blog this week and it got me thinking. Sometimes, especially at those moments when we think our writing isn’t going anywhere and we’re wasting our time, we can despair about being remembered at all. Most of us will never have the longevity as writers that people like C.S. Lewis or Shakespeare have enjoyed.  

I want to be remembered as a writer but I know the lifespan of a book is dismally short. Even if I am fortunate enough to publish several books I know inevitably they will probably end up in a remainders bin somewhere, or tossed out of a church library because they are just too old to be of interest anymore. The chances of writing something that will last forever are few indeed. 

But then I glanced at a thank you card my daughter gave me after her recent wedding. She’s a good writer when it comes to expressing her thoughts and feelings (I like to think she gets that from me :). The card expressed how much she has appreciated what my husband and I have given her – not in material things but in things like encouragement, trust and above all, love. Sometimes I wondered if we were passing on enough of all of those things to our children. It warms my heart and soul to know my daughter thinks we did. 

Her bit of writing makes me agree with what Cyndy said about scrapbooking -  

A scrapbook is one way to chronicle these memories… but I also want to encourage you not to stop with cute photos and kitschy souvenirs. Take time to record the feelings, blessings, and lessons connected to these events. 

I think that’s the key to good writing, communicating the feelings, broadcasting the blessings and revealing the lessons learned about life along the way. Whether I’m writing an article, a chapter in a book or a poem, these elements should be there. When they are, they touch the hearts of those who read them and have the potential to change lives.  

And I think that’s the key to longevity as a writer - a changed life. How many times have you heard someone say, “When I read that it made a difference, made me think, gave me a new perspective.” Or, even better, “That book (article, poem …) changed my life.” 

It all began with green balloons. My middle daughter had ordered them as a surprise for her older sister who was to be married that day. But there was a problem. Someone had to be at the park to meet the balloon lady. My husband and I volunteered.  

Three thirty on the afternoon of the wedding found us circling the park to keep the air- conditioning going in our car. Finally a van showed up, filled with six dozen large lime green helium filled balloons. That’s when we discovered how fragile helium balloons are. If they touched the trees they’d pop. If they touched the grass they’d pop. So okay, we’ll just hold onto them. Well, no, if they expand in the heat they’ll pop! We could not fit 72 balloons in our car, so we convinced the balloon lady to wait.  

As often happens at weddings, however, things had gotten behind schedule and she finally said she had to leave. So we carefully deposited the balloons on the grass behind a large bush, to keep the wind from blowing them away. Then we sat in our air-conditioned car and guarded them, praying none would pop.  

In a little while I saw a young mom with three small children and two dogs heading in our direction. You could tell the moment those kids saw the balloons. They started running. So did their dogs. So did I.  They stopped dead when they saw me, giving their mom time to catch up and when I explained we were waiting for the bride and groom, the mom led her brood away. I was thankful both her children and dogs were obedient.  

The look on the bride’s face made the wait and the inconvenience all worthwhile. Kate was totally surprised and delighted and it made their photo shoot a lot of fun. As we drove away I thought, well, that’s what the parents of the bride are for, right? And we were delighted to delight her. 

Then I thought about the Lord, when it’s time for Him to come for His bride. I thought about how much he wants to delight us, to take us to His home and love us as only He can. Later that evening, as I watched my new son-in-law wait with great anticipation for the moment when his bride would walk toward him, I thought of how good our God is, to wait so patiently for us, to love us that much. And as joyful as the day was for all of us, I knew it was nothing compared to the joy we will all know on that day when Jesus comes for us.  

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men and he will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).   

Come, Lord Jesus, come!

 

God Doesn't Go "Poof"

By Marcia Lee Laycock

The other night I went to see the latest box office rage, Evan Almighty. I enjoyed the first film, Bruce Almighty, produced by Tom Shadyac, so decided to try the second. The comedy had some hilarious moments  - like when God suddenly appears in the back seat of the main character's vehicle and he screams in fear. God says, "Let it out, son, it's the beginning of all wisdom." And then there were a couple of scenes that brought God's truth to the wide screen.  

Like the scene at a restaurant, when God shows up as the waiter. He chats with the wife of the man who would be Noah, and tells her (I'm relying on my memory here, so the words may not be exact) - "If a person prayed for patience, do you think God would just go "poof" and give her patience? Or do you think God would give her the circumstances in which to develop patience? And say a person had prayed that her family would draw closer together - do you think God would just magically make that happen or would He put that family in circumstances that gave them the opportunity to be closer?" The woman sees the wisdom of his words and goes back to her husband.  

I've been thinking about the truth in that scene, in light of my own prayer requests lately. For instance, in light of my prayers for my writing, specifically my new book, One Smooth Stone. It's not likely that God will go "poof"  and make it an instant overnight success. But He will create the circumstances around that work that will lead me and teach me much. It will be an opportunity to learn and grow both in terms of the world of publishing, and in terms of my relationship with Him. It's another example of how God is often not so much concerned with the end result as with the process.  

And that brings me to the difference in our perspectives and the need for me to adjust mine. I want to see my book on the best seller's list. God wants to see it change lives. I want to become known as a writer. God wants me to know Him more.  

I'm thankful for the reminder. And I'm thankful that I know God well enough to trust Him with the process. As he said to Evan - and to me through that crazy comedy - "I'm doing it because I love you."  

Through the Scriptures, He also said, "So I say to you: ask and it will be given to you." (Luke 11:9) Many take this verse to mean that God is obligated to give us whatever we demand of Him. I'm thankful that's not the case. He won't indulge us like spoiled children, but treats us with the understanding only an omniscient parent can have. He knows what is best and will give us that, even when it seems to us it is no answer at all.

 

Almost There?

By Marcia Lee Laycock 

I plunked down into the largest, most comfortable chair in our family room, looked around me and groaned. “Will we ever be ready?” I asked my husband. He chuckled. “Almost there,” he said, “Almost there.” I didn’t like that word ‘almost,’ but I recognized he was right. Even though the house looked like a hurricane had struck, with tools and cans of paint scattered everywhere, boxes half full and bags brimming to the top, I did concede that we were getting closer to our goal. The house is almost ready to show to a realtor.  

It’s been two months or more of constant work, laying new rug, washing and painting walls, replacing doors, fixing and adding trim, sorting through closets and drawers and making umpteen trips to local shops in search of boxes. And I concede it has all been worth the effort. Our home is looking so good I’d like to stay and live in it for a while longer! But that is not to be. It’s time to move on.

Our spiritual life can often seem like this same process. Sometimes we look at what seems like the chaos of our lives and we think, will we ever be ready to meet the Lord? We put in a lot of work and effort, doing what we think is expected of us as Christians. Sometimes we can see good results and are encouraged, but often it seems like we take two steps forward and three back. So we try harder and over time we make progress. We might even start to think we’re almost there.

But we’re wrong. Working hard at the spiritual disciplines is a good thing, but if we believe that’s what is going to get us ‘there,’ we’ve slipped into a mentality that denies the power of the gospel and the power of what Christ did for us on the cross. You see there is nothing we can do to get there – nothing we can do to make God love us more – nothing we can do to make us worthy of entering into the presence of Jesus and His Father. Nothing.

Jesus has done it for us, by sacrificing his life, shedding his blood and taking on our sin so that we are able to stand justified before God Almighty. The astonishing mystery of that act is the pivot of history, the pivot of our very lives. The moment we recognize that Jesus died for us, we are free from having to work to ‘get there.’ We have already arrived.

All that we do from that moment on should not be from a sense of duty or need to do more to please God. It is rather an outpouring of our love for Him and the outpouring of His love through us. Perhaps the most profound and most effective phrase in scripture tells us this – “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) That is the moment of arrival.

Is it time you moved on?

 

The Day I Made Cookies

By Marcia Lee Laycock

There’s a saying that I’ve sometimes seen on bumper stickers – “Need a heart transplant? Turn to Jesus.”

I understand the intent of that saying, but I don’t agree with it. Jesus is not in the business of heart transplants. He’s in the business of heart transformations. I can testify to that because it has happened to me. More than once. I was reminded of one of those times when my husband asked a question during his sermon last Sunday. He asked, “What’s the hardest thing you have ever had to do?”

A couple of things came to mind – the day I froze, terrified of falling, half way across the Capilano Suspension Bridge in B.C., and the day I made cookies. That day on the bridge a friend came and pried my hands off the railings and forced me to walk with her to the far side.  

The day I made cookies was a different thing entirely. We had built our log house on the banks of the Klondike River in the Yukon. We needed a well drilled and there was only one person in the area who could do it. I’ll call him Jack. I’d known Jack for a number of years. In fact I’d known him quite well, or thought I did. It was one of those times in a person’s life when the shock of betrayal results in hatred. I hated that man. If I saw him on the street I would cross to the other side. If he was in a gathering I attended, I would leave. Just the sight of him made my blood boil.

So when my husband told me he had hired him to drill our well, I was shaken. I would not be able to avoid him when he was working in my back yard. The thought made my stomach clench. I tried desperately to find some-one else who could drill our well, but Jack was the only person who had the machinery and the know-how.

The first day he came, I ignored him and stayed in the house. That’s when the Lord started working on my heart. I opened my Bible that morning and the verses spoke of forgiveness. I closed the book and didn’t bother to pray. The next day the verses were different but the theme was the same. I tried to pray, without much success. On the third day I thought the drilling would be finished but the machinery was giving Jack trouble. It was going to take longer than he had estimated. I did not have to wonder why.  

When I opened my Bible that fourth day the conviction on my heart was so strong I could not resist it. “For the word of God is living and active Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). I wept and asked God to help me forgive. I prayed the machinery would work. It took another two days and by then, on the last day, I managed to make a plate of cookies and serve them to Jack with fresh coffee and a smile. That was the same day fresh clean water gushed from the ground. The significance did not escape me.

Yes, God is in the business of transforming hearts. He reaches into them with His word and His spirit and changes them. Think you need to forgive someone? Turn to Jesus and he’ll give you a heart transformation.

I recently watched an old video called The Prince of Egypt. It’s the story of Moses and the exodus of the Hebrews out of Egypt. Although it is a cartoon version, the creators kept it fairly close to the Biblical account. I have seen this movie several times and there is one scene that never fails to move me – the point where Moses encounters God in the burning bush. When he asks that wonderful question, “Who are you?” God’s answer is at once mysterious and absolute. He says, “I am that I am.”

We know from the Biblical story told in Exodus that Moses responded to God’s call and obeyed His command to return to Egypt and confront Pharaoh. Though he was reluctant, he obeyed. I believe his obedience was in direct relation to His understanding of who this God was. He had talked with Him and the overwhelming affect of that encounter impressed upon Moses that this was the God of the universe, one not to be trifled with. Moses did not have an opportunity to create God in his own image. His perception of God had come from the source.

Unfortunately, most of us do not have that same opportunity. Burning bushes aren’t a common occurrence, even for those who are deeply spiritual. Perhaps that is why we tend so easily to distort the image of God. We see the evil and pain in the world and believe God is cruel and unfair. We don’t get what we want in life and believe God does not love us. We desperately want to live our lives on our own terms, so we create a God who will go along with our plan. We want to live in a world without pain or suffering so we insist God must be a magician who will perform miracles at our command. We want to live comfortably so we espouse a prosperity theology that justifies the accumulation of wealth. We want to justify our actions, so we assign God to our side.  

Without a burning bush and the voice of God in our ears, we will create all kinds of gods who are nothing like the real thing. These gods made in our own image may make us feel better for a time, but they are idols and idols never fully satisfy our longing for truth. 

So how do we guard against this? How do we get to know the real God?

We do what Moses did. We take off our sandals and acknowledge the holy ground. In humility we admit we don’t know Him very well. We ask Him who He really is and when we hear His answer we fall our faces. We study His word, the Bible. Then, when we hear Him command, we obey.  

None of us may ever see a burning bush, but if we humble ourselves and truly seek Him, we will find the true God.  

“The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.” (Psalm 69:32)