listen to his song

if you are not

still and quiet

you cannot hear

the song of love

he sings over you

thanksgiving 2024

“Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

Most of us are content to be joyful when things are good, prayerful when they are not, and thankful only when we are happy and healthy.  But the Scriptures tell us a much different story.  God’s will for us is much bigger than that.

God’s will for us is to rejoice always.  That’s right, always!  Even when things aren’t going so well.  Even when we are sad or sorrowful or depressed.  The beautiful thing about joy is that it’s a choice.  It is not contingent on everything being rosy in our lives and our world.  Joy can coexist with sorrow and sadness and pain.  It is much deeper than an emotion; it is an attitude, a state of mind.  It is a determination to hold fast to God’s goodness and his love, even when our hearts are breaking.  Because joy is about trust, a deep-seated trust that God is always working for our ultimate and eternal good, and that he will take care of us just the way he promised.

Secondly, it is God’s will that we pray continually.  Not just every now and then.  Not just when we think we should.  Not just when we’re feeling guilty or dutiful.  Not just when we want something.  He wants to hear from us always, and he wants to be with us in continual, intimate union.  He is not just the one we turn to when we are in a jam or need a favor, but the one we are in constant communication with.  That’s what a genuine relationship is all about.  It’s ongoing, it’s give and take, it’s back and forth, it's speaking and listening, it’s being with.  In other words, it’s continual.   

And finally, God’s will is that we live a life of gratitude, constantly giving thanks.  Not just when things are going our way, but in all circumstances, knowing that he is always at work in ways we can’t see or understand.  Knowing that he is doing things in us and through us that can only be accomplished through struggle and strife and dependence.  The hard times are the ones that accomplish his deeper purposes in and through us, and that’s something to be thankful about.

Always, continually, and in all circumstances, that is your will for me.  Forgive me, O Lord, when I offer you so much less than that.  Thank you that your desire for me is so much bigger than that.  Give me the strength and the grace and the courage to accomplish your will.

the secret stairs

They all were looking for a king

To slay their foes and lift them high;

Thou cam'st, a little baby thing

That made a woman cry.

O Son of God, to right my lot

Naught but Thy presence can avail;

Yet on the road Thy wheels are not,

Nor on the sea Thy sail!

My how or when Thou wilt not heed,

But come down Thine own secret stair,

That Thou mayst answer all my need,

Yea, every bygone prayer!

~That Holy Thing by George MacDonald

How do you usually expect God to come to you?  In power and glory, with a show of might and brilliance, or down the secret stairs?

If the Nativity taught us anything, it’s that Jesus, most likely, is not going to show up in quite the way we expect him to.  In fact, He is likely to come as he did that first Christmas Eve/Day, in lowliness, in hiddenness, and in humility.

And since he chose to come to us in that way, it is highly likely that he wants us to show up in the lives of others in that way as well.  Not in a blaze of glory with spotlights shining, but by using the secret stairs.  Thus, how we show up is almost as important as if we show up at all.

God is not looking for a big presence who will take the world by storm, he’s looking for those who are willing to slip in the backdoor unnoticed, those willing to enter by the secret stairs and show up lovingly, humbly, and consistently in the lives of those who are in desperate need of him.

I am forever grateful, O God, not only that you came, but also for how you came.  Help me to do the same.

to the depths

from information to encounter

from intellect to intimacy 

from conversation to communion

from blowing a kiss to kissing

from bystander to bride

from pursuer to pursued

from seeker to sought after

from idea to actuality 

this is the movement of prayer

eyes

give me eyes to see

the true beauty of things

not just the surface

but down to the depths

for if you do not

give me eyes to see

i will not be able

to see beyond my own

fears and insecurities

advent 2024

Two great options for Advent, if you're looking for a good companion.

for love

What does it mean 

to do what you love?

What does it mean 

to love what you do?

Or is the real question 

What does it mean 

to do whatever you do

With love?

Then it is not about you

But about love itself