The climb and the ant

This story came in a recent email.  The moral is a useful one.  We don't always understand the path before us.  But if what we're doing is an answer to a prayer to be of service, we can trust God to adjust our course to Her good purpose, and go about Her work cheerfully.


Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens. 

'Great', she thought. 'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.' She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn't there. 



She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she might find her contact lens. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse 'The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.' 



She thought, 'Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.' 




Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up. One of them shouted out, 'Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?' 

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!


The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption below. 


What can we trust?

Jesus said, "This is why you get sick and die:  Because you love what deceives you.  Anyone who thinks should consider these matters."  The Gospel of Mary, by Karen L. King

Sounds like if we trust what deceives us, we're headed for trouble.  We see that plot in novels and movies all the time -- a person with good intentions trusts someone with not so good intentions, and the story develops from there.

So what do you trust?  What have you found to lean on that won't deceive you?

Trust the big picture

A mom told me this story about her daughter-in-law -- whom she dearly loves and admires.

Jill was grateful to find a job in her field at the local arboretum.  It was only part-time, but she worked hard, attended to details, made solid contributions, and looked for full-time openings within the organization. 

A great opportunity came along to be assistant to her boss, and Jill applied.  She was devastated when another less qualified person was selected.

What to do?  Was all her hard work for nothing?  Was she not appreciated?  She decided not to go the route of self-pity or hurt feelings.  After considerable prayer she felt it was right to continue expressing helpfulness, willingness, and co-operation and stay in her part-time job.

Unknown to Jill, a grant had been applied for.  When it came through a short time later, the funds allowed her boss to create a full-time position especially suited to Jill’s talents.  Jill was one happy woman!

Usually we can’t see the big picture.  We don’t know where we fit.  The small parts we see sometimes don’t make sense or seem fair.  It’s good to remember that God knows the big picture, She knows where we fit.  Our job is to listen for direction and to do our best.

For somebody else the direction might have been not to stay.  That's where the listening comes in.   It's always fun when the pieces come together in a way that  confirms a decision as a good one.

Children's program at the arboretum

The norm is what we make it

A groomed cross country ski trail

Minoqua Winter Park

It was time to stop for gas on the way home from Wisconsin.  Also lunch. Somewhere north of the Illinois border, I found a Hardees.  I love their charcoal broiled hamburgers -- and haven't seen a Hardees in years.

The hamburger "to go" even had the wrapper thoughtfully turned back so you could eat without worrying about something dropping on your lap - the wrapper would catch the catsup or the crumbs.  Wonderfully simple and thoughtful touch.

I couldn't find the credit card slot at the nearby gas station.  Finally concluding there wasn't one, I filled my tank and went inside to pay.  The smiling clerk confirmed that paying is done inside -- after you have filled your car.

"Do you ever have anyone just drive away?"  I had to ask.

She paused, smiled, and "No."

It felt like another planet -- one where I'd like to live, where a sandwich presentation is thoughtfully designed to help the eater not make a mess, and gas stations trust total strangers.

Taking this feeling of joy and well being a step further, it was a glimpse of the Kingdom of God, I think -- where harmony, honesty, and thoughtfulness are the norm. 

Walter Cronkite

" And that's the way it is."

Warmth and respect flood America's emotions with news of Walter Cronkite's passing yesterday.

For decades he held the unsought title of "The most trusted man in America."

CBS evening news anchor for many years, Uncle Walter's integrity, humility, and affable manner endeared him to a nation. He set a high journalism standard, pretty much forgotten today - except for a few media such as The Chrsitian Science Monitor.

(OK, I'm prejudiced -- but the Monitor is one of the few remaining media that speaks with integrity and caring.)

Cronkite is a legend, an icon, a father-figure. He will be missed.

Trusting the One in charge

Firehouse sidewalk

in red-orange!

The new fire station around the corner has been under construction for several months now. While the project has not moved quickly, it has moved steadily.

For several days the workmen were pouring concrete, one section at a time, on the drive where the fire trucks will zoom out. Later they poured the concrete for the sidewalk.

But they did something that seemed very odd. They left the sidewalk squares closest to the driveway unpoured. Four places the sidewalk touches the driveway, and those squares remained empty after the cement truck had driven away.

To the casual observer (me) it made no sense. At that point I had to decide whether to dither and criticze, or to trust that the cement crews knew exactly what they were doing. Having better things to think about, I decided to trust and not dither, and see what would happen.

The next day as I went past, the truck and crew were on the job, pouring in those last squares of sidewalk. My confidence in their understanding of the whole job was not misplaced. The squares touching the driveway were contrasting red-orange and textured. The color and surface would alert pedestrians that this was a fire station, and they might have to quickly move out of the way.

This was a good lesson for me. If our lives are progressive, we often find some area under construction. Construction projects can be messy, and we may not understand why some parts are finished while other important-to-us parts remain incomplete.

I’ve found that it’s OK to trust the great Architect, who I also have found wholly caring and the source of all good and right things in the world. Because S/He sees the whole picture, the big picture, S/He knows the perfect timing for each part of our lives to fit exactly with what’s gone before so we can better love our fellow beings.

There may be steps we need to take, but not out of a sense of forcing events. If I try to push things from my perspective, it often interferes with what would have happened in an orderly way a little later.

Apparently somebody else reached this conclusion a long time ago, because he advised, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs)

The Lord is my Shepherd

A shepherd carries

his found sheep

Sometimes life and relationships seem very complicated. They are not, really. Truth is simple and direct. Love is caring and honest. Attentiveness is timely and thorough.

It’s when we stray from being true to ourselves as God knows us, that things get blurred. Dishonesty, for example, gets complicated because one deception leads to another. Procrastination gets complicated because neglected tasks pile up.

What cuts through all this is the simplicity of goodness. If God is entirely good – and the Bible, especially Jesus' life and words, assures us over and over of the power of good – then His/Her creation is intended to praise and honor Him/Her by expressing that universal goodness.

Someone once said that if life consists in the unfolding of good – and it does - then procrastination is putting off good. Who would want to do that?

So here’s a little email story going around that illustrates the simplicity of truth.

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most comforting passages in the Bible: Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the six verses.

Little Ricky was excited about the task – but he was having trouble learning the whole Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.

On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was no longer nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said with conviction, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

There is a God in the Post Office

This email has been making the rounds. And it is about unexpected kindness -- hearts speaking to hearts. This particular version arrived today, and the story follows:

This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, "To Meredith ," in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, "When a Pet Dies." Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:


Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven.

Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.

Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

No limit to the good you can accomplish

One of the kids has a report to write on an American who has made a significant contribution to mankind. He knew his choice. So we went to the library today and checked out three books at his reading level -- on George Washington Carver.

As the boys played Legos nearby, I picked up one of the books and was reading it to myself.

Born probably during the American Civil War, infant George and his mother were snatched away by slave kidnappers, to be sold in another state. George was found and returned to his home, but his mother was never located. Despite overwhelming odds, and with the encouragement and faith of adult friends, this youngster was determined to learn, and his love was birds and plants.

Reading about his amazing life and brave decisions, I oohed and ahhed aloud. To the boys’ raised eyebrows, I explained George’s cleverness in securing his first job as a cook at the age of 13. They were hooked and settled in on the couch on either side of me. I continued reading aloud for the next couple of hours as they listened intently.

We heard the story of a child, a young man, and then an adult, who never gave up, who made the best of what he had, and often made the best even better. A man who loved nature. A man whose goal was to improve life first for his own people, and then for everyone else as well. His expertise became farming. And his practical contributions were hundreds and far-reaching.

We also heard the story of a man who was on intimate terms with his God. He had conversations with God, asked Him questions, listened carefully to the answers.

This God connection finally explained, for me, how he could accomplish so much good. Because I also believe that the source of all that is good is God. Yet this humble man teaches me that my questions to my Maker are mostly too small in scope. I need to ask more questions, broader questions, and to listen better for the answers.

To accomplish unlimited good, we must commune with an unlimited God. And not be afraid after asking the basic questions, to go forward with the answers we hear.

When you swerve to the right or left,
you hear a Voice behind you whispering,
"This is the way, walk here."
(Moffatt)

Saying "No!" to doubt - over and over

Sometimes good listening pushes us way out of our comfort zones, out of our comfortable little habits. Sometimes we just can’t afford to doubt. Alan’s 9th birthday party was Sunday noon, and I was bringing the cake.

Only problem was that I realized with dismay – on the way to a Christmas party Saturday evening – that I hadn’t ordered a cake, nor baked one. What to do?

Previously I might have wasted a lot of time condemning my inattention to this important detail. But one great lesson God has been teaching me is to bypass the blame game, and get on to the solution. So instead of self-recrimination, there was just a simple, “Father what should I do?” Should I skip church in the morning, and buy ingredients for a quick cake?

The answer that came was, “See if you still have that carrot cake mix you bought recently.”

So I enjoyed the Christmas party, came home and there in the pantry were the needed supplies. Doubt asked, “Does Alan even like carrot cake?”

Rebuke to doubt: "Be quiet!"

I followed my intuition and went ahead and baked a 13 x 9 flat cake.

Doubt asked, “Not even a traditional layer cake?”

Rebuke to doubt: "Hush!" This cake saga became even more unusual, as I cast about for decorations for the blank looking cream cheese frosting.

The thought came, “Let Alan decorate it.” Doubt asked, “Let Alan decorate his own cake? That he may not even like?”

Rebuke to doubt: "Go away!"

So I stopped after church at a grocery store, and found decorating supplies. Alan and younger brother Lee were at the other Grandma’s when I arrived at their house. Doubt asked, “So the boy isn’t even here. Now what?”

Rebuke to doubt: "I am not listening to you!"

Other Grandma and boys showed up shortly in good spirits. Fast forward. Alan, totally engaged, uses a skewer to outline a Calvin in the frosting, then fills in the outline with decorative colors, encouraged by great grandma and great grandpa.

Little brother comes over and is impressed; asks to help place the candles. Mom takes photos. Everyone praises the artist. In short what started out as a catastrophe becomes a happy success.

The apostle Paul was speaking of much more serious matters when he wrote to his fledgling church in Rome,

“Moreover we know that to those who love God,
who are called according to his plan,
everything that happens fits into a pattern for good.”
(Phillips)

I believe this applies to the minutiae of daily life too. If we are doing our best to know how to please God and love our fellow man, He/She is there for us in the details as well.

But we do have to say "NO!" to doubt. As many times as it takes.

Watching for love gifts

Greek honor guard

at the tomb of the unknown soldier

Chris and I had about three hours free time in Athens. We had been encouraged to go to the Plaka, a unique labyrinth of local shops and restaurants.

Starting out with directions and map, we became distracted by a crowd of people in front of an official looking pink and white structure. We later learned this was the Parliament building.

On a marble plaza in front of the Parliament, an honor guard for the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was preparing to be relieved by the next shift. These tall, handsome young men performed their carefully choreographed routine with precision, accuracy, focus, and total disregard for tourists bold enough to have their pictures taken next to these on-duty soldiers.

We quickly exchanged a temptation to be disappointed at not finding the Plaka, for recognizing the privilege of stumbling upon the changing of the guard.

God frequently works serendipitously in our lives. He/She hides little gifts here and there along our paths. If we're too busy, self-absorbed, or determined to follow a specific agenda, we miss some, or perhaps most, of the gifts. On the other hand, if we're willing to look at a wrong turn and not label it a "mistake," we often discover something or someone delightful. And to find a God-guided good purpose for our being in an unexpected place.

It's important, for me anyway, to learn the flexibility of looking for the presents in the present, that indicate infinite Mind's ever-present goodness.

God doesn't make any wrong turns, and as I try to stay close to my highest sense of what I think His purpose is for me at any given time, I feel his gentle guiding. I'm learning to trust that direction, even when it doesn't take me to where I thought I should be headed.

It's a more gracious way to live, a less hectic approach to life and relationships. No wonder Jesus taught, Your heavenly Father will give you what you need, "if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to." (Living Bible) This approach takes away all the stress.

St. Paul, the whole purpose for my trip to Greece, was so convinced of the solidity of his relationship to God, that he didn't worry about what might appear to others to be mistakes. He could say with honesty and the conviction of experience that nothing could separate him from the love of God, which he had discovered through Christ Jesus.

Thanks to Christine Proctor for the excellent photo

Does God have a sense of humor?

Does God have a sense of humor? For sure. How do I know? Because He/She makes me laugh all the time.

For example: driving in Chicago had not been my favorite thing – and, please note, I am putting that in past tense – primarily because city parking has often been a challenge.

I had registered for what promised to be a most interesting program – Hidden Treasures: The voices of women in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – hosted in downtown Chicago.

So, in my desire to support all things good and womanly, I looked for someone to come along, another set of eyes for locating a parking space. Plenty of interest in the topic, but no takers who were also registered for the event.

I prayed about my reluctance because I was tempted not to go. And the answer that came was Yes, go.

So I just gave it all to God. Something like, “God, since you want me to be part of this gathering tonight, I know you will take me all the way. You would not tell me to go and not provide parking.” I guess this mostly reassured me that I needed to quit grumbling and totally trust that higher power.

My Mapquest route favoring major expressways looked less promising as traffic crawled out of Chicago on the Stevenson – which to my mind should have been uncrowded on a Sunday afternoon.

The idea came to exit on Cermak and take local streets to the church where the event was being held. I had to trust that intuition, because leaving known highways for unknown side streets was pushing me out of my comfort zone.

Exiting the expressway turned out to be an excellent plan. I had to smile while thanking God, who I think of as one infinitely good Mind. When I reached the little residential street where the host church was located, you can imagine my total amazement to see men in orange reflective vests – helping people locate parking spaces on that street!

I was grinning from ear to ear. It was as if the Father (another name for God that’s meaningful to me) was saying, “So, you want help finding parking? Here they are, in bright orange vests!”

“OK, dear Father-Mother, I get it, I’m a believer! Thank you SO much for this sweet gift.”

God's love is expressed in joy and good humor that never puts anyone down, but thoughtfully or spontaneously lets us know God is with us, loving, guiding, rescuing us.

"Now" vs Jet Lag

A mosaic in Berea where both Jews and Greeks

received what Paul had to say AND

Paul really did speak from steps

like those in the mosaic

Time is a funny thing, an arbitrary measurement, sometimes useful, sometimes a pressure cooker. Yet is it time that builds pressure, or is it how we relate to the ticks and tocks of our day?

Here’s a splendid application for managing time. One of our travel hosts on my recent trip following Paul’s footsteps in Greece, explained helpfully, “As soon as I get on the plane, I set my watch to the time of the place where I am going. And I think and act according to the time it is there.”

My sister had advised, “Don’t even think in terms of ‘If I were home I’d be having breakfast, or sleeping, or whatever.’ Live in the now.”

What a practical two-step antidote for jet lag. 1. Set your watch for where you are going and think and act according to the time it is there. 2. Live in the now.

It worked well for all 26 of us on the tour, so far as I know.

We can refuse to be the victim of “time” in other ways too. When I first discovered this some years ago, I was late for something that seemed important and the temptation was to lean heavy on the pedal and zip through traffic to try to be not-too-late. It occurred to me that instead of being a traffic hazard by driving as though only I was important, I could consciously both slow down and pray.

Have you ever tried to break a hurry-hurry habit? It isn’t always easy. What came to me as I prayed was that I was exactly where God wanted me to be – expressing His qualities of thoughtfulness, patience, and trust in the one Mind to be in control. When hurrying, I was trying to be in control. By slowing down, I was trusting God’s timing.

I agreed to let God be in control, and prayed for the harmony, safety, and good judgment of all on the road. Sure enough upon arrival, I was the first one at the meeting – others had been delayed as well. And this same sort of calm trust in God’s timing has yielded similar results time after time.

Paul lived in the now. He advised forgetting the past and setting goals and moving toward those goals. His personal goal was letting God direct his life for God’s own good purpose. If he had had a watch, I think Paul would have set it for “Now.”

By the way, for those who may be interested, this tour was hosted and led by http://www.biblicaltravels.com/

Closed doors? Don't be discouraged!

Nancy Fischer, tour host,
explains Paul's impact on
the Christian community in Philippi

Ever feel frustrated, because your project keeps being stymied? All the doors keep closing in front of you?

That happened to Paul. He and Silas had traveled to Lystra (a city located in modern Turkey), where they found Timothy – who became a faithful companion and trusted colleague. So far so good.

The trio traveled west. Just one problem. Luke (who wrote the account) says the Spirit blocked that route. By this time Paul was so committed to serving this God of Love, that when God closed one door, Paul simply said OK, and looked for a new direction.

This time they went north towards Bithynia – an ancient region of mountains and forests, bordering the Black Sea that included serveral large cities. Paul probably thought that must be where God wanted him to go.

However, Luke says, the Spirit didn’t let him go there either. Most likely Paul was trying to find the logic behind this message. And Troas, an important seaport, made sense as a new destination, so they headed west once again.

There in Troas, where they could travel by ship, he had a vision of a man in Macedonia calling Paul to come and help them. At last their direction was clear. They were to take their message beyond Troas – to Europe!

And that’s how they happened to come to Philippi – where, as you have read in previous blogs, they met a merchant named Lydia, a slave girl, and a jailer.

So I’ve been thinking, when a project seems important and doors keep closing it’s important to be clear whether, like Paul, I am totally committed to serving God and fulfilling His purpose. Or whether it’s a notion I cooked up because it seemed like a good idea at the time – without checking with the “Boss.”

Because if it’s indeed a God-initiated project, then He supports it and points the way for its completion. If it’s just a Sandi plan, well, it’s probably not going to be the lasting blessing it could be if it were God-centered.

Certainly we prefer the clarity of a message that says, "Go here," or "Go there." Yet here is Paul, 2000 years later, teaching yet another lesson – about not being discouraged when the message comes in the form of blocked paths -- "Don't go here" and "Don't go there." He didn't let anger, discouragement, or frustration keep him from going forward as best he understood how.

When we really want to serve God, infinite good, and are willing to (preferably promptly) change direction, He will show us the way.

By the way, for those who may be interested, this tour was hosted and led by http://www.biblicaltravels.com/

See you middish October!

Hello good friends - wherever you are in God's great love,

September has presented us with brilliant blue skies that backdrop stunning sunsets and highlight clouds in vivid pink.

It’s been a super adventure sharing spiritual discoveries -- putting on the new cloth, the new garments, of who we are as God knows us.

It's time for an autumn break, and I look forward to seeing you again soon – around mid-October.

In the meantime, you might enjoy discovering previous posts – all the way back to February!

Just scroll down the right hand column until you see "Blog Archives." Then click on the little triangle next to August, or your month of choice. Then click on the name of the month. And voila! You have that month’s worth of posts before you.

As we journey on together, yet individually, may you feel the warmth, comfort, power, and delight of God’s love in everything you do.

Sandi

Sometimes life is step by step

“Umm. Guess what? We’ve been following a goat path.”

We peered over the edge of a small precipice. Three of us gals were hiking down from the serene alpine lake that had provided a magnificent setting for enjoying our sandwiches. Somewhere, though, on the way back, we had missed our turn, and now faced the prospect of backtracking up the mountain.

While we considered what to do, a sudden storm caught us. Happily we all had rain gear, but the downpour rendered the rocky terrain very slippery. We decided to backtrack slightly to see whether there was more grass another way. There was.

Mary Baker Eddy writes in her book, Science and Health, “Step by step will those who trust Him find that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." This was exactly how we came down the mountain. One footstep at a time. We could see where to take a few steps forward. Stop. A few steps down. Stop. A few steps to the right. Stop. Slide a few feet down this rock.

And so it went. Ruth voiced gratitude for each tuft of grass that gave firmer footing. We proceeded on the basis of that gratitude as we found our steps, literally, one-by-one.

A waterfall-fed lake below became the focus of our descent. As long as that lake stayed in front of us, we knew we were headed in the right direction.

Eventually the rain stopped, and the rocks dried almost instantly, providing firm footing again. We discovered our path – the one used by human hikers – and descended into the cool of the forest below tree line. We reached the trailhead and our vehicle, and were warmly hugged and welcomed by friends who had been waiting and supporting us with their own prayers.

A man, not of our group, who had been watching our descent marveled that we had gotten down so quickly. What to us seemed to take forever, seemed quick to him.

Looking back on our hike that day, we were not perfect, we made mistakes, we corrected mistakes. But we were an excellent group. Our collective trust in a loving God guiding us resulted in the mutual cheer, caring and good-will that lightened the struggle of finding our way.

Sometimes life is like that – step-by-step. The struggle becomes our opportunity to trust the gentle and gradual unfoldment of how it is that God would have us glorify Him/Her next.

Even if it rains on our carefully made plans; even when there is no clear path; even when the way seems slippery and treacherous, even when we have to keep figuring out what to do next, God is there for us. And we hear Him/Her best when calm trust uproots fear and discouragement.

King David, one-time outlaw, understood well perilous mountain paths, as well as the need for staying close to the safety and comfort of his God. He wrote, "Hold up my goings in your paths, that my footsteps slip not."

What size is your puppy?

A friend sent an email called “Puppy size.”

"Puppy size" tells about a little girl who helps her parents understand hearts speaking. Her mom takes her to an animal shelter to find just the right puppy. The little girl knows she will recognize it by its puppy size. Week after week she cannot find the right puppy. Her patient, but exasperated, parents are clueless about why the little girl isn't selecting a puppy. Finally she finds the right puppy and is able to explain to her mom that the puppy sighed when it was in her arms.

All along she was looking for puppy sighs (not size). She knew the puppy loved her when his heart sighed in happiness.

Thus heart speaks to heart. How comfortable we feel in the presence of those who love and care about us. And how comfortable they feel when they can trust and lean on our love. It's a mutually giving and appreciating.

This love isn't selfish or possessive, doesn't have a hidden agenda. We're talking about an affection that's pure, honest, gentle, strong – all at once. The comfort the little girl and the puppy recognized was a genuine mutual caring that just snuggles in and trusts.

As I see it, this symbolizes the all-embracing love God has for each of us as His/Her children. Straight-forward, pure, honest, dependable, unconditional. That's a big one. Unconditional love. Knowing our own short-comings, we might object and say, "I'm just not worthy of that kind of love."

Yet there is something we can do to thank our Maker for the depth and strength of such love. We can love each other better – in the highest sense. We can look for opportunities to be kind, thoughtful, patient, caring – even in the middle of our busy days. Even when we are struggling with personal issues. In fact many people have found that spontaneously helping others breaks the mesmerism of feeling trapped in their own inner wrestlings.

We are worthy to be called the sons and daughters of God. And we have endless opportunity to show our thanks for such love.

---------------------------------------------

When the heart speaks,

however simple the words,

its language is always acceptable

to those who have hearts.

Mary Baker Eddy

Now I am giving you a new command --
love one another.
Just as I have loved you,

so you must love one another.

Christ Jesus

Phillips Modern English

---------------------------------------------

The Fern and the Bamboo - message of hope and expectancy

Ferns

Someone sent an email with a story about the fern and the bamboo.

A man was about to give up on the world. Before he checked out, he decided to have a last talk with God. He went for a walk in the woods and asked God to give him one good reason not to quit living.

So God showed him the fern and the bamboo. Turns out that if both seeds are planted at the same time and equally nurtured, the fern shoots up and is quickly beautiful. Each succeeding year the fern grows more luxurious.

Nothing at all happens to the bamboo seed for four years, despite the nurturing and tender care. In the fifth year a tiny, almost insignificant sprout appears. Within six months the bamboo is over 100 feet tall. For five years it had been growing a root system to support its height.

The moral is:

• Each of us has a different purpose.
• Each of us is beautiful and useful in God’s plan.
• We should be patient with ourselves while our root system is growing.
• We shouldn’t waste time comparing ourselves to others.
• Just do the best we know how, and God will be pleased.

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The fern and the bamboo story is a useful metaphor of hope, patience, and trust.

For me, it’s also helpful to know that the God who carefully plants and tenderly nurtures the seed is not remote and distant, but that He/She is right here – for us to lean on – in good times and bad. That He’s right here to answer our questions, hold our hand, guide our footsteps, shelter us from the storm. That because God is an infinite Mind, He is never too busy to care for any of His children. It’s what He loves to do most.

We love Him, the Bible says, because He first loved us. As we feel that nearness, that closeness, that tender oneness with Love itself, we feel connected with the rest of His creation. It becomes natural and easy to love, forgive, be kind and patient with others.

"Lean on me."

It was really discouraging. Bookkeeping is not high on my list of favorite tasks anyway. Then last month two financial statements defied balancing. Neither came anywhere near the required figures.

But as I prayed, it occurred to me that although this looked like it was all about banking, this wasn’t really about balancing statements at all. It was about learning to rely on God for all my needs, big and little, significant and ordinary.

He who does all things well, was saying, “I’m here for you. Yes, even for this. Lean on me.”

God is here for all His children, all the time. 24/7. Never too busy, too tired, too anything. I know that’s true, but I needed this gentle reminder.

“Oh! Thanks for that!” I meant it. For several days I went about my business attending to other things – work, chores, neighbors, family. Whenever I thought about the balancing, I just thanked God for letting me lean on His goodness and allness as the reality in my life. The other day, it seemed time to sit down and tackle these statements again. I prayed first, thanking God once again for being the one universal Mind who knows all the answers.

It became clear that a statement for the previous month on one of the accounts was affecting the figures for the present month. So I asked God to show me how to fix that. In very orderly steps, that statement came to balance. Then the present month also balanced. The other account balanced as well.

I was overjoyed to feel these heavy burdens lift. Praying, listening carefully to what God would tell me, had shown me the right steps to take. God is so good!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord,
that he may instruct him?
But we have the mind of Christ.
St. Paul

Living with sprouting purpose

Ever feel like an old stump?

The story of Job records the struggle of a man dealing with injustice and know-it-all friends. In great despair Job observes that even the stump of a cut-down tree might sprout if it just had enough water.

"There is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. . . Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant."

Although Job felt worse off than a dead stump, his remark gives me hope! No matter what the loss that makes us feel cut down and useless, with trust in a loving God, we can deal with it. Lost job, lost friendship, lost self-worth? God has a good plan for restoration and renewal, and He wants us to know what it is.

In Job’s case, when he prayed for his super-critical friends, he rediscovered his oneness with God’s purpose for him. The tragic losses of previous years receded as he moved forward in every aspect of restored and productive living.

Note to self: It’s easy to pray for those who are pleasant. It’s important to pray for those who are not, that they may discover their inmost God-given nature is one of caring and patience. Willingness to wrestle with ourselves in order to pray for difficult people -- those we think least deserve it -- adjusts our course, realigns us so that we find ourselves in the groove with our Maker.

Related: Scent of water - Kim Korinek