Category: Spiritual Reflections

I recently came across a “new” song.  It’s actually been out awhile.  The artist is Casting Crowns and the song is called “Somewhere in the Middle.”

Sometimes as humans we are caught in the middle — the middle of the war between good and evil.  Our struggles can take us down some dark roads.  But even there, God finds us.

Somewhere in the Middle

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You’ll find me.

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You’re making me
Somewhere in the middle, You’ll find me.

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender
Without losing all control

(Refrain)

Fearless warriors in a picket fence,
reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You’ll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

(Refrain)

Lord, I feel you in this place and I know You’re by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I’m caught in the middle.

There are always different ways to look at things.

Photo by PhotoFriday

Some look at a glass that’s filled halfway and say “it’s half full.”  Others would say “it’s half empty.”  And still others would say “there is no line, so it’s neither half full nor half empty.”  Others might say “Is that a glass?”

Perspective.  How we view life and others is shaped by how we grew up and what challenges and struggles we went through.

Take the story of Philip and Andrew, two men who decided to leave all and follow Jesus.  That was actually rather bold since they really didn’t know Him.  Jesus was unemployed and homeless.  Not too many people want to follow someone with those labels.

Yet they did.  And one day, because the people heard that Jesus had healed the sick, large crowds followed Him to a hillside where they sat to hear what He had to say.

Jesus looks at Philip and says “Where shall we find bread for this people to eat?”  John 6:5

Philip, undoubtedly, looks around.  There is no store here on the mountainside.  And they don’t have enough money to feed all these people.  Jesus is asking a question that Philip believes has no solution.  So he states clearly, as might I, “It would take more than a half year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite.”  John 6:7

Indeed, that would be me.  Realistic.  Philip and I would get along well.

Another follower of Jesus named Andrew speaks up and says “Here is a boy with 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”  John 6:9

Bless Andrew’s heart — he has a limited solution.  Perhaps they can feed the ones that are closest to them.  But, they certainly can’t feed them all!

Then we have the Jesus’ solution — the can-do and relying on God solution.  “Have the people sit down.”  That’s what Jesus says.  No explanation.  I can visualize Philip and Andrew wondering why.  They can’t feed this many people.  Oh — perhaps Jesus just wants them to rest.  All 5000 men?  That didn’t include the women and children.  But — okay.  The people sat down on the grass.

Then Jesus does something we don’t think to do very often if at all.  He gave thanks for something that hadn’t happened yet.  “Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.  He did the same with the fish.”  John 6:11

It takes a certain mentality to think that all is going to be well even when the signs are not there.  For after giving thanks, the Bible says “When they had all had enough to eat …”  John 6:12  Wait a minute.  Something isn’t right here.  We only had 5 loaves and 2 small fish.  And 5000 people.  And they ALL had enough to eat.  Not only that, the rest of the story tells us there were leftovers that they had to gather.

IF this story is true (of course I believe it is), I have to imagine that Philip and Simon were in a state of shock.  Going through the motions and not knowing what was happening.  But how different their “view” now — when one is with the Son of God outlooks change.

It’s called a miracle.  A wonder.  Or, as dictionary.com defines it “an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.”  I believe this would qualify.

Three different people looking at one scenario and all having different thoughts about what could and couldn’t be done.  But only one — the one with the closest relationship to God — knew there were possibilities.

Funny — I sometimes go through life the same way.  I believe something can’t happen because of circumstances and then it does.  Or vice versa.

Being a realist can have disadvantages .  A square box is sometimes all I see.  I can’t see that there’s a place inside the box that can be used or that I can stand on the box or that maybe the box needs unwrapping.

Next time I have a problem, I need to ask myself if I’m limiting my thinking and missing out on possibilities —  possible because of dependence on God.

To read the whole story in the Bible, click here.

Photo website:  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1942

Psalm 62:2 “Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

Sometimes I read other blogs and find a jewel of an article.  The one I found is called “Where Is God When We Need Him?”  A lengthy article but well worth reading.

I don’t think I know a Christian who has not grappled with the question of where God is — especially in times of deep need like a death, depression, sickness, abuse, etc.  In my life, I have had moments when I too have felt that God was silent.  I would look up at the sky in anger and say “So, where are You?  You said you’d never leave me or forsake me but — you are not here!”

My experiences though have been a little different than this other blogger in that God has always shown Himself to me.  Whether it’s through a song, a person, an animal, the wind — He has spoken.  Not always right away.  He knows my breaking point and just when I’m ready to give up, like playing hide-and-seek, He says “I’m right here.”

But He wasn’t playing hide-and-seek.  He was there all along.  I just failed to see Him.  He has always been faithful in being right by my side.

Click here to read the article.

I fell today and scraped my knee and it bled.  Then I ate a whole box of oreo cookies.

I yelled at my husband and snapped at the cashier at the grocery store.

When I came home, my father berated me for falling and bleeding, for overeating, for yelling and for snapping at the cashier.  He went on and on about how stupid I was and that I wouldn’t amount to anything.  He slapped me across the face.  Then he wouldn’t give me any food for a week because I had overeaten.

Was he correct in what he did?  Or, was what he did emotional and physical abuse?  Was he too harsh?

What would we do if we saw this happening?  Look away?  Talk to the father?  Report it to a social services organization?

Sadly, many people just look away.  We don’t condone what is going on but we don’t want to be involved.  We can probably all agree that it’s wrong and that we wouldn’t behave this way.

A lot of us look at God in the same way.  One who judges harshly. The Bible is full of stories that depict God as vengeful and full of hate.

And so, many of us look away from Him.  We don’t want to be involved with a person like this.  But that is not really who God is.

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him.”  Matthew 7:11

Jesus came to show us what the Father (God) really is like.  He came to take away our misconceptions of  God being harsh and instead to show us that we can call God our Father, Abba, Papa, Papi.  He came to show us the Father’s gentleness, kindness, peacefulness and His willingness to sacrifice everything for us.

Most earthly fathers will show that to their children.  Our Heavenly Father will do no less.

“… for anyone who has seen me, has seen the Father.”  John 14:9


Look at Jesus — you’ll see the Father.


The Desire of Ages

An article in the New York Times, dated January 30, 2011, stated that people are heading to Bugarach, France because they believe the end of the world is almost upon us.  Supposedly, the mountain there has aliens who live underneath it who will protect them from this event.  Their belief is that the end of the world is when a 5125 year cycle in the Mayan calendar comes to an end in 2012.

“Religious” hikers continually pass through this town of approximately 200 locals.

The end of the world has been predicted many times, ranging from the Y2K event to the rapture some Christians believe in.

In the book of Matthew 24:36-39 in the Christian Bible, Jesus states:

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

For me, preparedness is key.  No mountain is going to save people.  Only the relationship they have with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The tongue.  A small but powerful instrument of the body

A proverb in the Bible says, “The soothing tongue is the tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”  Proverbs 15:4

Lady Bird Johnson Park in Redwood, California

The soothing tongue.  Words that come out of the mouth that smooth over hurts, disappointments, pain, mistreatments, discouragements.  How much more of these tongues we need in this world.  

In reading the Bible this morning, I read the Scripture found in the book of John 2:14-17.

In the temple courts He found people selling cattle, sheep and doves and others sitting at tables exchanging money.  So he made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.  To those who sold doves He said “Get these out of here!  Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”  His disciples remembered that it is written “Zeal for your house shall consume me.”

I have always read this verse with the understanding that Jesus was concerned about the physical temple and what was happening in it.  On the surface, this is correct.  But I find a deeper meaning now when reading “zeal for your house shall consume me.”

As I continue reading, verse 19 of the same chapter it says, “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.”

Here Jesus refers to His body — the temple.

Just like Jesus reference to His body as the temple, so in this Scripture we find the same connotation.

What goes on in buildings called temples and churches was/is important to Jesus, but it’s the people who make things happen in these places.  They can be holy or sacrilegious.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own.  1 Corinthians 6:19

Zeal, as defined by dictionary.com, is fervent or enthusiastic devotion.

How comforting to know that the Creator of the universe has such zeal for me.

I will sing for the one I love a song about His vineyard.
My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines.
He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well
Then He looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.    Isaiah, Chapter 5

A friend was pregnant with her first baby.  She was ecstatic and was determined to do everything right.  From the very start of her pregnancy, she ate only healthy food so that her baby would have the best start in his life..  No sugar, no refined flour, no white rice.

Once the baby was born, she continued to give him only the best foods and tended to him with tenderness as I had not seen before in my life.  Holding him close, she would read to him and talk to him with a gentle voice.  I had not seen that mother-son love exemplified until I saw it in her.  What a beautiful example of what our Father can and does do for us.

He digs up the dirt in our hearts, plants the choicest vine of Jesus inside and proceeds to build a watchtower in the presence of the Holy Spirit to help us on our journey.

Then He waits for the crop of good grapes in our lives.  Actions that portray to others His goodness and His love that they too may be blessed.

Sometimes we yield bad fruit and the three of them — Father, Son and Holy Spirit are saddened.

What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?   Isaiah 5:4

Indeed, what more can our Father do for us?

If we were to daily ask that question, reminding ourselves of our blessings, we wouldn’t let the petty things in life get in the way.  And anger, resentment, pride, selfishness would simply melt away.

Father — you can do nothing more.  I need to continue to allow you to clear the stones from my heart and allow your peace and love to grow.

You will be like an oak with fading leaves.  Like a garden without water.  Isaiah 1:30, 31

Dead tree in the landscape near Sawtry for TL1881, Michael Trolove

The people were all dried up.

What happens to us as people when we go through rituals without them having much meaning any more?  We’re like robots garnering no satisfaction in what we’re doing.

Stop bringing meaningless offerings.  Isaiah 1:13

Motives.  Do we do things to appease people or because we really enjoy doing them?

The term “going through the motions” is what God is talking about.

The leaders of that day, just like us today, did things only because that’s what they thought God wanted them to do.  Kill a lamb.  Check.  Go to church.  Check.  Give an offering.  Check.

They had lost their passion for God.  Much like we lose our passion in relationships — at work, at home,  out in society.

After awhile, we become like oaks with fading leaves.

Are we still standing?  Yes.  But we aren’t living.  Our leaves slowly die and fall to the ground.  Moments in time that can’t be recovered.

They were hungry and thirsty and their lives ebbed away.
Psalm 107: 5

We are not left hopeless and helpless though.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.
Psalm 107:6

There’s always hope.  There’s always help.  There’s always — God.