Lift Up Your Head

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2 NIV
 

Girlfriends, welcome to hot, hot, hot July! Wherever you are in the world, I hope you are staying well hydrated in this heat. You are the bright and beautiful flowers in my garden of friendship. Today, I pray you will also receive some refreshing, spiritual watering deep in your souls. Let's dive in.

Key Verse

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, 

because your redemption is drawing near.

Luke 21:28 NIV

Looking Down

Ladies, I have spent a lot of time walking lately, trying to sort out in my mind, and spirit, the direction my life is going. One day while traversing the sidewalks and pondering my existence, I noticed that I am always looking down. (I have seen more cracks this month than a plumber's assistant.) Even when I exercise by climbing the limestone stairs at the toboggan run, my eyes are fixed on the rising or falling of the steps--which by the way are covered in dirt, bird poo, and creepy, crawling (or smashed) insects. I realized that the visual stimulation received during my soul searching walks is not enlivening nor enhancing my thought process whatsoever. In fact, the blandness of the concrete and the repetitiveness of the fissures are depressing reminders of the routine ruts into which we can fall as we march through our days. 

Recently, I decided that one of my twelve laps up and down the 125 stairs would be taken backwards. As I began my reverse ascent, I tried to look down, straining my neck to see the next stair behind me. I turned to the right, but my neck hurt. I twisted to the left. My neck still hurt, and now I was also dizzy. Finally, I looked up and straight ahead, allowing my foot to find the edge of the next step behind me by feel and faith. I continued to climb backwards in this manner, gazing out at the beautiful green forest in front of me the entire length of the rise. Suddenly, I arrived at the top of the flight, unaware of how many steps I had taken because my eyes were captivated by the beauty displayed before me. Yes, my legs were noodly and my breathing labored, as usual, but this loop passed quicker than the others I believe because my gaze was upward and the view was pleasant.

How many of us spend the majority of our lives looking down? Take a walk in any crowded place and try to catch someone's eye to offer them a smile or a wink. Chances are most people are gazing downward--at the ground, scanning for possible impediments which might cause them to trip and fall; at their phones, searching for meaningful relationships in a text message or on facebook; at their ipods, hoping to find solace, or inspiration to keep moving forward, in the next artist's song.

We all do it. We travel this world looking down, focusing on our earthly life with earthly problems, scarred by sin and disobedience, fearful of the uneven pavement, of the bumps in the road, of the rocks in the path upon which we may stub our toes, or trip and take a tumble. But what if we could walk by faith, lifting our eyes upward, focusing on the things of God, of the heavenly and perfect realm, of the promise we have been made? How would life change? How many eyes would we catch, smiles would we share, knowing glances would we exchange? The beauty of this life is found by beholding the magnificence and wonder of the next one, and God's creation is the greatest peek we have into that eternal life. Ladies, look up and behold the wonder of it all!

Looking Up

In today's key verse, Jesus is telling of the future destruction of Jerusalem and the end of time. He is describing dark days and events, but then He says, "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Ladies, the advice of the Lord can be applied to any season in your life. When the end seems near, darkness surrounds you and nothing feels right, stand up and look up--raise up your head! Redemption--your Savior Jesus Christ--is drawing near. My friend, draw near to Him. Lift your eyes from the ground, from the madness all around you, and catch His twinkling eye, the smile on His face, the expression that states, "I am here for you; I am in charge; and you will be fine."

Girlfriends, I challenge you for the next week to walk with head, chin, and eyes lifted high. God is trekking with you; He has your back. 

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

He will catch you if you fall; He may even warn you of the danger if you acknowledge His presence on the journey. 

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

Turn off the distractions and converse with Him. Be still and know He is your God. (Psalm 46:10) Seek the wonder of His world and be amazed. Your insight, your vision, your direction will be brighter, clearer and more spectacular. Do as my favorite singer, Mac Powell of Third Day, sings: Lift Up Your Face!! 

My dears, I pray you will see the sun and moon shining instead of the gum and gunk stuck to the ground. I pray you will count the smiling nods you receive and the birds in the trees instead of worrying about stepping on cracks and breaking your mother's back. (Ha Ha- remember that old rhyme from childhood? If not, you probably think I am a cruel idiot right about now!) I pray the treasure you find in the colorful clouds of a beautiful sunset will be greater than the value of the occasional penny or quarter you may discover on the ground. I pray you will walk hand in hand, sharing with your best friend, instead of wandering aimlessly with cellular or electronic device in hand searching for affirmation from your virtual friends. Most of all, I pray you know and accept the love of God, your Savior Christ, and the indwelling Spirit of the Lord, whose beauty will grace your life forever more. Look Up!

Walk By Faith

For we walk by faith, not by sight:

2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV

A Walk

This lovely morning, I walked in our neighborhood with a girlfriend who lives across the street from me. Traversing the sidewalks, we commented on the appearance of various landscaping, additions to homes, fences and siding color schemes, and the upkeep of land owned by the Franciscan Village. My friend wants to make some changes in her own landscaping, and my house needs painting. Naturally, we desire aesthetic beauty for the exterior of our property, yet we also discussed the housing market. When the time comes to relocate, will we recoup the costs invested? 

After a lengthy hike, including huffing up and down the hill, we stood in my driveway still discussing our opinions and choices. To my surprise, a woman appeared from around the corner of my house, sweeping the sidewalk with a white cane. I whispered to my friend, asking if she knew the lady, which she did not. As she turned toward us, I called out to our dog to move off the sidewalk, to which the woman replied that she was not afraid of Oreo. (Mighty brave, I thought, since earlier my friend and I got nervous seeing a dog restrained by an invisible fence!)

Lola stopped and chatted with us for awhile. She shared how her failing sight has presented her with new challenges and limits her freedom; however, she seemed determined to overcome her disability. Expressing how her family assists her, Lola also asserted that she must become self-sufficient in case she should ever be alone. Hence, her journey outside! This time she was walking around two blocks, but her first trip was simply on her block. Fourteen minutes, she exclaimed, was how long that first excursion took. She was driven to cut that time down, avoid falling, and master the use of the white cane. My friend and I encouraged and congratulated her as she continued toward home. 

A Walk by Faith

I now realize that I have previously met Lola. I remember her pushing a stroller with her six month old granddaughter and stopping to chat in my driveway. The contrast between the two meetings is stark. A short time ago, Lola walked as my friend and I did today, viewing the trees, flowers, grass, brick and painted homes, fences and pools. She probably pointed out birds and squirrels to her little grandchild. But today, Lola walks by faith, not by sight. Faith in a white cane to notify her of uneven pavement, street corners, and other sidewalk impediments. Faith in her other senses to alert her to animals, pedestrians, oncoming vehicles, and more. Faith in her own confidence to conquer her failing eyesight and overcome resulting limitations.

Lola encourages me today to examine my own walk. Am I relying too much on my sight to guide me? Do I place too much emphasis on outward appearances, whether it is landscaping, curb appeal or my own physical body? In what areas is God calling me to walk by faith in His plan and His priorities rather than by what I see as the way or the goal? Do I trust Him with my family, my home, my finances, my health, my life, even when the answers are I seek appear dark and hidden?

Faithfully Walking With God

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I do believe that God instructs to care for ourselves and to be good stewards of the world in which we live. I read it in His Word to me. He also tells me that I am to value Him above all created things. Therein lies my challenge--my task--to overcome my tendency to value what I can experience with my senses over what I experience by faith alone: my Lord and Savior.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

Girlfriends, today, I thank Lola for her courage to walk by faith. She has inspired me. Yes, I still have appointments for painting and repair estimates, trips to Home Depot for dirt and mulch, and a deck screaming to be stained; however, my top priority daily is conversation with Jesus about the state and condition of my soul and following up with application and maintenance!

Ladies, my prayer for you today is simple: May you walk by faith, not by sight. Without having seen, I pray you will believe that Jesus died for you sins--past, present and future--and accept His salvation offered by grace through His atonement. I pray you will schedule a soul examination with yourself and God: How important are appearances to you? Are you being a good steward of God's gifts to you, or are you valuing the gift more than the Giver? I pray time with the Lord will reveal answers and solutions which you implement. And I pray for Lola, and any of you, struggling with a physical challenge that threatens the ability to walk, to go forward in life. I say it again, may God give you the strength, courage, and desire to walk by faith!

Love to you all!