Have You Thanked God Lately?

Last weekend, the kids thought it would be fun to cut down a tree in our front yard.  Now let me preface this by telling you that we had been talking about removing this tree for quite some time because it had begun to grow over our driveway and front windows.  We told the kids we would wait until most of the leaves fell of in the fall to cut it down.  Derrick also told them that he wanted to do something with the wood, birch, as it was expensive hardwood.  

The older kids chopped/sawed down the main trunk of the tree and the younger kids worked hard to cut all the smaller branches off of the large trunk pieces.  And then, Lawson got an idea.  He gathered up some small branches, found one square flat board in our garage, and declared that he was going to build his own mini table.  He cute the branches into legs and shaved and smoothed the outside of each let piece.

Yesterday, Lawson worked together with Derrick to turn his table into a chair.  They shaved and sculpted and sanded and whittled and finally, a small wooden chair was unveiled.  As I watched Derrick working with Lawson, spending hours on a project that meant nothing to him but everything to Lawson, this verse came to mind:

1 John 3:1
 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!

God LAVISHES His love on us - pours it out for us constantly, even when we don't deserve it.  When I stop to think about all that He does for me and has done for me, even sending His own Son to die for me, I am beyond humbled.  

So my question to you today is this - have you thanked God lately?  Have you acknowledged the things He has done for you and taken the time to express gratitude to Him.  His love for you is deeper than the ocean, more vast than the highest mountain peaks.  He cares so much for you and I, even when we are not deserving of anything.  He pours into our lives every day, and so often we hardly even give Him a second thought.  Will you give yourself some quiet time, before the day is through, to talk to Him, to thank Him, to recognize that even while we were completely undeserving, He gave it all for us...

Romans 5:8 

 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Up Close

 A couple of weeks ago we had the rare opportunity to see a Northern Flicker up close.  Carter had gone out to the garden in the morning to pick a few hot peppers and his eyes caught movement in a section of the net surrounding the garden.  He walked over and discovered the flicker, tangled in the net.  After a few minutes, the flicker was free and we all joined him outside to admire the beautiful creature.

From far away, the flicker may just appear to be a grayish brown color, nothing too exciting, but from close up you can truly appreciate the beauty of this bird, the black bib and cheek markings, black spots on his belly and back, the red patch on the back of his head and then, as an afterthought, the brilliant yellow feathers under his tail.  Several of the kids took a turn, carefully holding him and then we watched him fly away to freedom.

This would have been just another ordinary Saturday morning, but we were given a glimpse into a world that is often only visible from a distance.  And when we took the time to stop what we were doing, let our other duties fall by the wayside for a few brief minutes, we were rewarded with something truly beautiful, something that brought a smile to the face of every member of our family, something they will not forget anytime soon.

I think of how I order most of my days, allowing myself to get pulled from one obligation to the next, filling every second of my time with tasks both large and small.  I think of the relationship that God offers to me, if I will only allow time to step away from all of they busyness and just be still before Him.  The Message version of Psalm 46:10 reads this way:

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,"

Will I allow myself the opportunity to witness God, up close, to let the things of this earth fade away for a few minutes each day so that I can see Him, experience all that He has to offer me, be dazzled by His majesty and glory.  

Thank you, God, for this new day, to experience the amazing world You have created for us to enjoy.  And thank you for desiring a close relationship with us, even when we push You away time and time again.  Forgive us for focusing on temporary things and help us to have eyes to see You and to see what is truly important in this life.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Relentless Pursuit

Psalm 23: 6  Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life...

For the last two months, I've been up to my neck in soccer.  Five out of six of the kids are playing and it is a daily commitment of practices and games...and constant laundry to keep all the uniforms clean and ready!  I enjoy seeing the kids out on the field, pushing themselves physically and doing something they all love.  When I watch the kids play, I see them focused so intensely on where the ball is on the field. No matter what is happening around them, their primary aim is to keep the ball away from their goal and to put it in the goal of the opposing team.  In order to do this, they must constantly chase it around the field...relentlessly...

As I parent, I sometimes feel a bit like a soccer player, only I am chasing kids around.  Often they evade me, or shoot off in another direction.  Often I am weary of chasing, hoping they will make good decisions, be kind to each other, have a servant's attitude towards others, do their chores, put their phones away, or maybe just brush their teeth...  Often they test me, reject my gentle guidance, roll their eyes and even walk away...

A few weeks back as I was standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes, I watched the kids running around the backyard together and a thought occurred to me.  How often do I treat God the same way they treat me?  How often do I reject His gentle voice, turn away when He is trying to speak to my heart, choose my own path instead of His, and spend an entire day without even talking to Him or listening to Him one time?  How does this make Him feel?  And yet, He never grows weary of pursuing me...His pursuit is relentless.  He offers me so much more that I could ever deserve.

Romans 5:8  But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Even in the midst of my disobedience and stubborn heart, God reaches down to offer me grace, love and forgiveness and a relationship with Him.  He pursues me, never gives up on me.  He cares about me with an unimaginable love.  He is wholly focused on me.  I fail Him again and again and again, and yet He is always waiting, hoping I will turn back.  While I can become worn down and discouraged when my kids reject my love, God never does.  He will never stop seeking me out...never give up on me...

Ezekiel 34:11  For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.

As I continue to watch the kids finish up their soccer seasons, and as I strive to parent them well, daily, I will keep these verses in mind. 

Lamentations 3:22-23  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning

Psalm 139:7-8

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in the depths, you are there!

Have you stopped to consider recently how God might be pursuing You?  Can you even imagine a love that, even while He hung, dying, on the cross, cried out, "Father forgive them..."?  How will you respond?