Well with the Soul

The Lord is good, 

    a refuge in times of trouble. 

He cares for those who trust in him.

--Nahum 1:7

Okay, be honest. 

How long would it take you to find Nahum in the Bible? He is one of the "minor" prophets, just a few pages long, tucked in after Micah. If the pages stick together (from overuse, I am sure), you will miss Nahum altogether.

And yet, this morning, Nahum found me.

Thursday mornings, a group of us gather for prayer at a local bagel shop. Usually, I receive the Scripture from whoever is giving the sermon on Sunday, and we share that as well, and talk about it. 

This morning, I had nothing. So as I am wont to do when that happens, I turned to the lectionary passages for the week. I gave them a quick glance, figured I would decide when I got there. (We meet at 6:45 a.m. It is just too early to do much thinking.)

As I am driving the mile-and-change to get there, my mind is wandering, mulling over the lectionary passages in my sleepy brain. Hmm-- will it be David wanting to build God a sanctuary or will it be Paul's thoughts on circumcision from Ephesians? Or-- Mark has Jesus preachin' and healin'. Business as usual there.

What to do, what to do.

I stop at a light, look up and there is a Kia Soul in front of me, that kind of weird kiwi color, with a personalized license plate:

1 NAHUM 7

I get to the bagel shop, whip out my Bible and look up Nahum 1:7.

The Lord is good, 

    a refuge in times of trouble. 

He cares for those who trust in him.

Wow. Who'da thunk it?

In this prophecy from a man about whom we know virtually nothing, in a prophecy of doom and destruction, this wonder-filling nugget of hope and promise.

Please understand. I am not the kind of girl who prays, opens the Good Book and expects God to give me something. It's just not my style. 

But this was-- perfection.

We talked quite a bit about this verse, shared where God has left big ole thumbprints of goodness on our lives, often where we least expected it.

Provision in times of hardship of many ilk.

Beautiful, heartfelt testimony of God intimately at work in our lives.

For me, this was important because this verse is easy to affirm in grandiose, vague, uncertain terms. But what does it look like-- with legs on?

It looks like an unexpected check in the mail when the rent comes due.

It looks like a new relationship arising from the ashes of broken hopes and broken hearts.

It looks like following through on a hunch about a job, one for which one is decidedly underqualified-- and being hired by someone who admittedly is unsure why they have chosen you.

It looks like unexpected conversations, random moments filled with hope and promise, where before appeared only bleak desolation.

It looks-- like God.

Give Thanks to the Lord

If you don't like the tune, mute it-- and just allow your eyes and your heart to feast on the images. 

Gracious, God, thank you for opening our eyes and our hearts to see and affirm your wonderful presence and provision in our often-empty lives. Amen.

Box full of love

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. 

For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

--Luke 6:38

It's time for another story about love. Not romantic, kissy-face love. No, this is a story of a woman who touched our lives-- and we reached out to touch back.

"They" say Facebook is a tool of the enemy, that nothing good can come of it. I say they are full of beans.

A number of us have a mutual friend, on whose Wall we have engaged in vigorous discussions about religion, about gay marriage-- about life. Always (well, mostly) with respect. Every once in a while, someone will shoot their mouth off disrespectfully, but not very often.

It is a safe place. A great place.

We have never met one another. We only know each other through the virtual world of Facebook friendship.

Little by little, a handful of us found ourselves making friend requests, and engaging with one another in different ways, rather than just in discussions. 

We were becoming friends. For real.

Then one among us became very, very ill. We began to be concerned when she disappeared from Facebook for longer periods. We began to pray for her.

One of my friends noted that "Nancy" really liked cats, but was too ill to care for one right now.

What if, she said. What if we all got together and sent Nancy one of those cats that is almost alive? One that purrs and cuddles and mews-- but doesn't eat or poop? 

What if?

So together, she and I began to dream. We looked into those cats, and I found one, a white one named Lulu who really does seem to be almost alive! She purrs, she rolls over on her back to be rubbed-- but no Firskies and no kitty litter needed. Perfect.

What a good idea! Ah, but here's the problem:

I live in the States, and so does Nancy. But these other friends? Some are in Australia. How to do this???

You know what they say. Necessity is the mother of invention. So we started brainstorming ways to get US dollars into heidi's hands so we could get Lulu into Nancy's hands.

And we figured out a way.

And Lulu has arrived in her new home-- wrapped with bubble wrap, even. A second gift of love. 

See, the thing is, everything in Creation can be used for good purposes-- if we so desire. Even Facebook. (Especially Facebook.)

Thanks to God for his wondrous provision, for people who love way beyond their borders, and for a desire-- no, a need to share a box of love with a sick sister, love disguised as a nearly alive, long-haired white cat named Lulu. Amen.


(Woohoo! Just discovered this is my one hundredth post. Thanks for reading. Let's go for a hundred more, shall we?)

The Great Escape

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

--2 Kings 2:11-12

There is nothing quite like a funeral to get you thinking about life.

This morning, I attended a funeral and listened to a story about a man who, spending his days in a nursing home, one day decided to sign himself out, go to the local Toyota dealer, and lease a bright red Toyota convertible. 

Throwing his walker in the back seat, he downshifted and took off, the last of his snowy white hair blowing in the breeze. 

It wasn't his final hurrah, not a "Thelma and Louise" moment or anything. But he did it to make a point, to affirm, one more time, the way he had lived his life: With joy, with vigor-- unpredictably. 

Life came along, and this man said, "Yes!"

Imagine Elisha, standing and watching as the man whom he loved as a father was taken up in a whirlwind to join his ancestors. Elisha knew it was coming-- but still, in the next verses, he is heard to ask, "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" 

Saying goodbye can be challenging.

But Elisha, before Elijah's death, knew that Elijah had a way of living that Elisha wanted to continue. He asked for a double portion of Elijah's spirit.

A double portion. Twice the zest for living. Can you imagine?

I wonder what people might see in our lives and want to emulate, receive a double portion.

What is your inheritance, the gift you are leaving behind to the world?

Have you lived your life tentatively, waiting for "someone else" to make a move? Or have you stepped up to the plate, offered a smile, a hand-- a heart?

Are you storing away treasures in this life, saving up far more than you can ever use? Or are you generous of spirit, giving freely of all you have and all you are?

When you look up at the local coffee shop or the library, when you see someone you don't know, what do you see? A stranger-- or a friend you have yet to meet? (Do you see Jesus?)

Does your life speak of the love of the Lord-- in all you do?

And when that day approaches, will you cling with everything you have to your life in this place? Or will you share, even in death, your profession of faith, your belief in a life beyond the grave, free of pain and suffering?

Like Elijah and Elisha, we are walking this journey together. When our time comes, how will our lives be seen? It is never too late to begin living a life where your actions speak so loudly they drown out your words.

When I Die 

Faithful loving Lord, thank you for reminding us: We have nothing to fear. And thank you for showing us a better way, through the life of your Son. Amen.

(Preferably not naked!)

David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. --2 Samuel 6:5

(This is a silly, lightweight blog post. Sorry-- it's nearly 100 degrees and very humid where I am, so just relax and come along for the ride.)

I have heard of a number of churches this summer where the pastor is preaching a sermon series on popular music. The premise is that there is plenty of God to be found, even in our secular tunes and lyrics.

I have no problem with that. At all. 

But I do hope they somehow manage to at least be a little bit scriptural in their approach.

That's why I picked this verse from 2 Samuel. It's one of my favorites, because of the mental imagery it evokes. David and the whole house of Israel are dancing their feathers off with joy! 

You make me feel like dancin'

They are transporting the Ark of the Lord-- and could not be more filled with joy. (Never mind that a few verses later, there is an unfortunate incident with the Ark going off-balanced and tipping. . . .)

No, right now, in this verse, the joy is palpable. This is worship, pure and unadulterated. David does not care who is watching or whether he looks like a king-- or not. 

He is in the presence of the Lord! If that is not reason enough to dance, what is? What will it take to stir your soul? (A little Motown, perhaps?)

Dancin' in the Streets

Soon and very soon, the heat will break. My mind will return to its usual state, and we will get serious again. 

Wait, wait-- what am I thinking? This blog is about prayer. And hope. And joy. And celebrating the goodness of life, right here, right now. Put on your red shoes and dance!

Let's dance!

Thank you, Lord God, for leading us in the Dance. As we celebrate, help us to remember why we dance. For without your presence in our lives, our steps falter. Without you to lead us, the rhythm of life falls out of sync. You, O Lord, stir our souls to sing. Thanks be to God. Amen!