Mid-Week Message - The One About Lullabies

 "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."  John 14:1-3  (NIV)

Do you know what I miss?  Among other moments from my daughter's childhood, I deeply miss bedtime.  I loved the whole routine of dressing her in her little pajamas, reading a story (that I had probably read so many times that I knew it by heart), tucking her in, saying prayers and singing her a lullaby.  There were two that she especially liked.  The first one everyone knows.  "Hush little baby, don't say a word."  But the other was one that I had made up for her when she was a newborn.  It's special because she is the only child it has ever been sung to and only by me.  Something that we share.  Just the two of us.  

Did either of your parents sing lullabies to you?  My dad sang to me.  It wasn't a song that most people would consider for a lullaby but, every time I hear it, I think how wonderful that this man loved me enough to sing to me.  I'll tell you what it was at the end of the message.  

Those bedtime songs do more than just lull little ones to sleep.  They are a reassurance of the parents' love and devotion.  It is a way to communicate that it is safe to sleep because someone is watching out for them.  

The last thing I do before praying as I close my eyes is to read some of God's Word.  Just as that little tune helps a little one rest easy, so the Lord's written message does for me.  It reminds me that He is in charge and that it is safe for me to sleep.  I know that His love will cover me and that when I awake, He will still be there.  

That is an assurance we all need.  There is more than enough going on in each of our lives to keep our hearts in turmoil twenty four hours a day.  We have no idea what is going to happen next.  Who could have imagined in 2019 that the year 2020, and even beyond, would be marked by a pandemic?  The uncertainty of what life may bring can be nerve wracking!  Except...we know the One that has always known.  He has already seen our future and plotted the way through.  When we are reminded that He is sovereign and there is absolutely nothing that can remove Him from His throne, then we can lay down our cares, lean into Him and find rest.  

One thing I am certain of is that as long as our lives continue on this earth there will be circumstances that can shake us to our core.  I also know though that it is not our Father's will for us to worry.  He is there to take our concerns to.  He always sees, always hears, and always cares.  I have had plenty of lonely days when I wished that there was another person around to talk to, to lean on, to share my tears.  Sometimes, that isn't a reality.  But there has never been a time when I was without my Lord.  

As you lay your head upon your pillow, rest in the surety of His presence.  There is no better lullaby than feeling Him near.  May your week be filled with His blessings.  

Oh, Daddy's lullaby?  Home on the Range.  

Mid-Week Message - The Carnival

 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their prayer..."   1 Peter 3:12a  (NIV)

I can still see the look in his eyes.  When my daughter was four years old, we went to Texas City, Texas to visit my parents and my aunt and uncle.  One of the things I wanted to do was to take her to Galveston to see the beach and the ocean.  On the evening that we chose to go, my father, who never wanted to miss a moment with his first grandchild, decided to ride along.  

Before we got to the beach, she spotted a roadside carnival and began asking if we could go there after the beach.  She liked the sand and all the water, but she was most excited about stopping to have some fun on the way home.  Being that I also always loved carnivals, we stopped.  

She rode the Merry-Go-Round and a couple of other rides meant for young children.  We played a couple of the games and had some cotton candy.  She was curious about the Ferris Wheel so I asked the man who was running it if it would be safe for me to take her for a ride, as I am always concerned about my weight causing a problem.  After giving me the history of the wheel, he assured me it was more than sturdy enough.  

Now my father had never liked this particular ride.  He didn't trust it and he surely did not want his daughter and granddaughter on it.  He told me he didn't think it was a good idea and he asked me to please reconsider.  However, by this time my daughter was excited and, frankly, so was I.  After taking our seat and as the wheel started moving, I looked at my father and saw distress.  He was so worried.  

When I recalled this incident the other day, I began thinking about our Heavenly Father and how diligent He is to watch His children.  Psalm 139 tells us that He is always aware of what we are doing, so I wonder what the look would be in His eyes when we put ourselves in danger or engage in sinful activities.  

The look in my dad's eyes came from his love for us.  If our parents love us that much, just think how incredible the love of God is!  I didn't honor Daddy's request and it hurt him because he was trying to keep us safe.  When we fail to follow the Lord's leading, we have to be aware that we are choosing our own path rather than staying under the protected cover of His wings.  

Thankfully, nothing happened to us that evening.  Were I to have the chance to relive the moment, I would take my father's advice because now I understand that, in his wisdom, he knew that I was putting both myself and my daughter in avoidable danger.  With age comes a deeper understanding of the frailty of life.  I am so grateful for his deep love and that the Lord chose that precious man to raise me.  And I am astounded by what the Father has taught me about Himself through my time with my dad.  

Lord, thank you that your eyes are always on us.  How I'd love to see the look of love that you have for each of your children.  

"I sing because I'm happy.  I sing because I'm free.  For His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me."  💓

 

Mid-Week Message - He Knows Our Thoughts

"O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit or stand.  When far away you know my every thought.  You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest.  Every moment you know where I am.  You know what I'm going to say before I even say it.  You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head."  Psalm 139:1-5 (TLB)  

Have you ever wished you could read minds?  How much easier would communication be if we never had to wonder what the people around us were thinking?  The problem with it would be that we would know even the negative thoughts and be privy to things we would really rather not know.  Would it help our relationships or harm them if we always knew what was on another's mind?  

Good communication is of utmost importance with those that we are close to.  Marriage especially is deeply effected when the partners are negligent in sharing their thoughts and feelings.  It causes distance and misunderstandings when they are attempting to figure out on their own what is going through the mind and heart of their mate.  Counselors stay busy trying to unravel issues that could have been avoided with adequate communication.  

Another relationship that suffers is the one between parents and children. Especially when my daughter was a teenager, I longed for her to talk to me and tell me what she was thinking.  I would know she was struggling with something but I had no idea what.  It was frustrating because I loved her and wanted to help her through her difficult times but I had no idea what to say or do.  No matter how deeply we care for another person we will never be able to be as close to them as we wish to be because we do not have the ability to truly know their mind and heart.  We know only what they choose to share.  

Psalm 139 says that the Lord has examined our hearts and knows our thoughts.  His love for us is so great that when He created us he reserved for Himself the ability to know our every thought and feeling.  He knows what we think and feel and all the reasons why.  He knows what we are going to say before the words are ever uttered.  If He desires to be that close to us, what should our response be?  

Personally, I want Him to be honored by my thoughts.  I want Him to find a clean heart and honorable attitudes.  My desire is for Him to find love, sincerity, gratitude and humility when He draws near.  I want Him to know that His Word is sacred to me and that I seek to keep it.  I want Him to know that when I speak, the words will be honest and praise-filled.  Simply put, I want to be as close to Him as He desires to be close to me.  If I concentrate on fulfilling these desires then my relationships with others will be improved as well.  

Life happens to each of us daily and I realize it isn't always easy to keep the lines of communication open.  However, if we start with our relationship with the Lord, realizing that He has this intimacy with each of us and learn to share openly with Him, He will assist us in our relationships with our mates, children, friends, co-workers, etc.  I wish everyone a blessed and peaceful week.