God Provides...Even Scorching Winds!

Pastor David's sermon on Jonah gave me some new food for thought (not seaweed!)

God provides.

Yep, agree with that. No problem.

God provided Jonah with resources to run. Hmmm. God didn't tell him to run but Jonah had $ to board the S. S. Escape headed for Tarshish, headed NWN (NoWhere Near) to Nineveh!

God provided an opportunity for Jonah to share his faith with the sailors. God provided grace for those sailors, despite Jonah's confession of his obsession of anger that the folk in Nineveh might make a profession of faith. Ironically, his admission led to the crew choosing to anchor their faith in the God of all Heaven and creation, Yahweh!

God provided a whale to "save" Jonah and give him "shelter" so he wouldn't die. Now that is just weird! But it worked.

God provided a second chance for Jonah to get his kelpy scalp to Nineveh.

God provided a spirit of repentance...well, maybe--I guess the people of the city chose to repent...not sure how to interpret it theologically but the Ninevites responded in repentance (God won't force anyone to repent). What an incredible miracle--everyone from the least to the King (and Pastor pointed out even the animals had to fast and wear sackcloth!) honoured God!

God provided unlimited patience of His own toward Jonah the jerk!

God provided a vine to give him shade.

Then God "provided" a scorching east wind to dry up the vine.

God provided a rebuke: Do you have a right to be angry? (Jonah amazingly dares to admit he does--at least in his mind!)

Usually we think about God's provision in a positive light. One of my favorite hymns says: He giveth and giveth and giveth again. He is abundant and generous and surprising in His care for us.

But I can think of times when God has provided a scorching east wind to try to get my attention, too. Those are not such great experiences. I don't like being confronted about my sin. How insulting! Ugh. How insulting for me to realize I am a sinner like everyone else and make my mistakes like anyone else, too.

But how incredible that my God loves me so much that He will send that scorching wind to get me back on track. He's not interested in my "falling" into the belly of a whale and being puked out covered in seaweed, messages in bottles and whatever other odd stomach contents might come with me out of a whale's mouth.

But He doesn't want me to waste time with stinking thinking (to borrow an AA term). He wants my obedience. My willingness to take a risk. To prove His graciousness abounds. To prove His compassion is beyond fathom!

God provides a scorching east wind at times. And that can actually lead to blessing.

The times when it seemed the heavens were brass and my prayers only ricocheting to nowhere were just that..something that seemed to be one way but God provided the answer I needed, even if I didn't like it. He provides what I need. What He needs to get my attention and to request my obedience.

All this is to inspire service to Him and others. It's not even about me ultimately. It's about Jesus and giving Him glory and honouring Him. It's about running into His arms but not staying there--then running to others and encouraging them to realize God provides. It may be in His own very unique way.

But God provides!

Happy New Year!

2010!

Likely more than 2010 changes have happened in this last decade!

Usually my year end reflections are mostly happy but for 2009, I felt a sense of disappointment. I felt like it was the year of too much wasted time for me personally.

My husband pointed out it was more a year of huge adjustment. We started out living in a (very nice and affordable but still) basement suite with horrible parking in horrible weather and a loooong commute to work for me. We moved to a lovely home mid-July which is one of the highlights of '09 for our family.

We had big expectations in many ways and as always, God surpasses those expectations with amazing blessings.

But still I feel like I have not been a good steward of personal time.

My hope for myself for 2010 is to make things right this year...to make things count (NO, I do not want a career change to accounting LOL)....to make a difference...to show more love, to reach out more, take more risks, lose LOTS of weight (cough, cough, no really!!!) and write, write, write!!

Make it right.
Make it count.
Make a difference.

Sounds a bit cliche but that's not the important thing...the important thing is to pursue life and love and God with a passion like never before.

I pray and hope that on December 31, 2010, I will celebrate fewer regrets and true accomplishments that make life better for others and me, too!

But what about Christmas?

This morning browsing around Facebook, I saw a friend's post commenting on how she is broke. I believe she said negatively broke.

That's an interesting thought--we have times financially (and emotionally, perhaps) when we are positively negatively broke!

I just re-read "Hundred Dollar Holiday" recently. It's an interesting little book written by a Methodist man who got together with friends a long time ago (the book is published in 1998, I think) and rethought how they celebrated Jesus' birthday.

Christmas in today's world puts so many unfair, unrealistic expectations on us. It's a greedy grab-fest, pay now, think later, pay later, pay more later!

But as the author Bill McKibben said, What about that first Christmas?

Think about it--been to the mall recently? Garish and/or pretty decorations, useless gadgets, longed-for material bliss on sale now!

Now imagine the scene in the stable--stinky hay, cow plops, sheep, a crude wooden stable, cold Israel evening, messy afterbirth, but two very blessed new parents holding the very Son of God in their arms and loving Him and His father who gave Him to them.

What on earth made us go from that to Money-Mart-made Christmas 2009?

The gift most people need (aside from an improved economy and more financial stability) is TIME, RELATIONSHIP, love... We need to care for the world we live in, putting resources back into the earth, not piling up plastic packaging and clinging to idols that might interfere in our time with God, with family and friends.

Did God mean for us to have a self-serve holiday? What about the homeless? What about the hurting?

I'm rethinking Christmas, too. I'm not above longing for diamonds and dressy new clothes. But I'd far rather enjoy the sparkle in a little one's eyes as they learn the real meaning of Christmas. Time to relax with family by the fireplace. Time for solitude reading the Bible or a good book. Time to write. Those are the gifts that don't fit under the tree but mean the most to me.

Our first daughter was born 18 days before Christmas. That year brought a whole new perspective on Mary for me...pondering things in her heart, treasuring this new life entrusted to her care.

It's hard to put it into words and maybe I'll make some time to write it out more succinctly this season.

But for now, I'm just thankful for such a Saviour and such a precious gift as Jesus throughout every season of life!

No Now Then?

We usually receive a free paper twice a week. It's called "The Now."

The Now did not arrive on Wednesday or Friday this week.

So I guess we have no Now then?

Hee hee...

Powerless

Today I am powerless.

My daughter lost her job. She feels even more powerless than I do.

I am hurting for her but sitting here hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometers away.

There definitely is power in prayer. I pray she will find work quickly and this time in a more stable environment.

Maybe powerlessness is not completely a bad thing if it makes us lean on God...

...if it makes us realize there is no power in me to change some circumstances

...but I'm "plugged into" The SOURCE of all power, my Father God

Sure, I have some power personally--the power to choose attitudes and actions, the power to be positive and loving, the power to adapt to things as needed, the power to change certain behaviours but ultimately, I surrender!

I surrender my "rights" to my powerful God and choose today to trust in Him.

He is more than able to answer our prayers above what we can ask or imagine. I know He wants good for my daughter, even more than I do.

I choose to celebrate my own powerlessness and to rejoice in His perfect power working on our behalf!

Inspiration On A Disposable Coffee Cup

Wake up and read the coffee cup?

I recently had a wake-up call (although I'd been awake for several hours by time of purchase/first sip) reading "The Way I See It #76" (Anne Morriss, www.starbucks.com/wayiseeit)

Here's what Ms. Morriss said: "The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating--in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life."

My head has been a BIG barrier, so to speak, from committing to writing. So here goes.

I'm committing my head, my heart, my hands to write more often!

Coffee cup wisdom! Aren't we fortunate to live in such an inspiring world?

The power of the written word can open hearts and hands and inspire others into action.