Waiting

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Join me on a journey through Advent as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus… by waiting. Welcome to the 12 Devotions of Christmas, every day through Christmas Day!

Three minute devotionals will be aired on WCNP 89.5 daily at 8:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. You can also find them on the WCNP Facebook page. They will soon be posted at the WCNP website (www.wcnpfm.org). Then I will be able to post the audio devotions here as well.

A dear soul is doing all the production—these things take time.
Advent is a season of waiting, so it seems appropriate to practice that very thing!

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently. Psalm 37:7

Advent Adventure

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 Advent is a time of waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The word “advent” comes from the Latin word “adventus” which means “arrival.” So we are waiting for the arrival of Jesus. And for over two thousand years, He’s never stood us up. He always comes.

Did you know that we, in modern times, approach the holiday season a little differently than they did hundreds of years ago? We jump into a frenzy of activity right after Thanksgiving, if not before, spending, decorating, baking, going to programs and concerts, gathering with family and friends. By the time Christmas comes, we’re tuckered out and it’s almost a relief to have a few days of quiet recovery before the new year starts.

In days of old, that was switched. Advent was a quiet time of prayerful contemplation, spiritual preparation, and fasting. It wasn’t until Christmas Day that the celebration part actually kicked off, which then lasted 12 glorious days, full of feasting and gift-giving.

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” may be the most annoying holiday song, but the idea has roots in the early church. In 567, the Council of Tours “proclaimed the twelve days of Christmas as a sacred and festive season, and established the duty of Advent fasting in preparation for the feast.”

Would you do something a bit counter-cultural with me? Would you sit quietly for a few minutes every day leading up to Christmas? Don’t be afraid of the silence, and don’t worry about all the things on your to-do list. Let’s learn to wait well, so when Jesus arrives we can celebrate with hearts fully prepared.

Note of Thanks

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I used to make my kids write thank you notes. I was a firm believer that birthday money from Grandma or a Christmas present from Auntie deserved acknowledgement and gratitude. The notes were written in very large letters and usually ran along these lines:

Dear Grandma,
Thank you for the birthday money.
Thanks again!
Love,
Your favorite grandchild

The kids didn’t put a lot of thought or creativity into their sentiments. I didn’t care. I just wanted them to develop the habit of saying “thank you.” It was important to put the simple, terse words down on paper in actual handwriting. Emails, texts, and phone calls would not suffice. That would be too easy. Instead, the scritch-scratch of pencil on cardstock, the crooked address on the envelope and the licked stamp says, “I took the time to do this because I am serious about being grateful.”

Call me old-fashioned.

This year, I’m proposing a new, old-fashioned tradition.
Write a thank you note to God.

Put the pen to paper and jot down a few sincere words of appreciation. Instead of extemporaneous spoken prayers or recited doxologies, give it some thought and maybe a little creativity. A yearly record of gratitude at Thanksgiving could stand as a witness to generations yet unborn.

If you need some inspiration, open to Psalm 106, 107, 118, 0r 136. They all begin with the same line: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.” That’s an excellent place to start.

No Thanks

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Thanksgiving is two weeks away! It’s time to buy a turkey, dig out my gravy-splattered recipe cards, and one other thing….oh yeah! Give thanks.

Being thankful and saying “thank you” are two different things. I am struck by how genuinely grateful people seem to be this time of year, yet not many know whom to thank. It’s like appreciating the feast laid out on the table without saying “thank you” to the cook. Knowing Whom to thank makes all the difference.

In November, my Bible automatically opens to Luke 17 where the healing of ten men leaves Jesus asking questions. I make note of all questions when they appear in the Bible, but when the Son of God puts forth a query, I sit up and pay attention.

“Were not all ten cleansed?
Where are the other nine?”
Luke 17:17

The account begins with Jesus going into a village and being met by ten men who had leprosy. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

This poor, pathetic group of outcasts must have recognized Jesus from afar. They seemed to know He had healing power, although all they asked for was pity. No one in the group of ten dared to draw near to the Master, but kept their distance and yelled out at Him. Jesus yelled back and they were cleansed as they walked away.

Nine men kept walking. One man turned around.
Nine men were cleansed. One man was healed.
Nine men were grateful. One man said, “Thank You.”

Hear the difference:

Ten men
stood at a distance
and called out in a loud voice.
They went and were cleansed.

One man
fell at Jesus’ feet
and praised God in a loud voice.
He came back and was healed.

All ten had faith—only one had gratitude.

Dear Jesus,
may my call for help from a distance
draw me to Your feet with praise.

Oh Lord God,
may the intensity of my thanks
match the fervency of my requests.

Journey to the Center

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PB took me on an adventure last weekend to the center of the earth.
Or more precisely, the center of the Northwest Hemisphere.
Who knew this remarkable spot was right here in Wisconsin?
I didn’t. Until Saturday.

In case you need to brush up on your Junior High geography, here’s a quick review.

There are only four places on earth where the 45th Parallel Latitude intersects the 90th Meridian Longitude.

  • The Pacific Ocean—45°S – 90°W
  • The Indian Ocean—45°S – 90°E
  • A mountain in China—45°N – 90°E
  • Poniatowski, Wisconsin—45°N – 90°W

The only place on all of earth’s 197 million square miles where a person can stand exactly halfway between the equator and a pole and halfway between the prime meridian and the 180th meridian is right here in America’s Dairyland.

We drove north for a couple hours, turned into a farmer’s cornfield, then walked 1/4 of a mile.

PB sure knows how to get to the center of this girl’s heart. He took me on a surprise adventure to a place I’d never been before and we stood on a special spot together that no one else among the world’s 8,045,311,447 people were standing.

It was magical.
A perfect date.


We became official members of the 45-90 Club.


Then we got some lunch and drove home.
It was such a good day!
Life’s an adventure with PB!

Make Yourself At Home

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PB and I have gone into homes where no one offered to take our coats (so we tossed them in a corner), we weren’t welcomed to come in and sit down (so we stood around awkwardly), and nothing was offered to eat or drink (although cookies sat on a plate all evening). Sometimes people just don’t know how to be hospitable.

We’ve also been places where we were greeted politely (although it seemed a bit formal), we were escorted to an immaculate parlor (where we sat awkwardly), and gourmet food was served (with all the properly placed silverware and goblets). Sometimes people only know how to entertain.

For over three decades, PB ended worship services with a paraphrase of Ephesians 3:17-19. It starts like this: “We pray that Christ will be more and more at home in our hearts, living within us as we trust in Him…”

Is Christ “at home” in my heart?

Do I address Him formally? (Dear Gawwwwd.) Is there awkwardness between us because there are things too touchy to talk about? (I’d rather not discuss that please.) Am I following the rules of etiquette and decorum? (And making sure everybody else is, too.)

Am I trying to entertain God?

Or am I waiting at the door, anxious to invite Him in with warmth and joy? (Lord! I’m so glad You’re here!) Do I offer Him myself, foibles and faults included? (I’m not much, but I’m all Yours.) Does He feel comfortable enough to put His feet up on my coffee table? (Make Yourself at home here.)

Is my heart hospitable?

I can invite Jesus to stop by, perhaps on special occasions. I can clean up the place, get dressed up, and put out the best china. But He’s not impressed by my outward show of righteousness.

Or I can sign over the deed to the place and give Him ownership. I can let Him clean out the closets, clothe me in His righteousness, and fellowship at the table daily.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock.
If you hear my voice and open the door,
I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”
Revelation 3:20

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I’d bring Him a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I’d do my part.
Yet what can I give Him? Give Him my heart.
~ Christina Rossetti


Coming and Going

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PB and I have been doing some coming and going.
We took a drive up north to see the fall colors.
The leaves weren’t in full autumn splendor,
but glorious nonetheless.

“The Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.”
Ps. 121:8

This verse is from a dearly loved psalm in which the phrase “watch over” appears five times in eight verses. I often send this verse to people who are anticipating a surgical procedure. I tweak it just a bit: “The Lord will watch over your going into anesthesia and coming out of anesthesia both now and forevermore.”

I’ve read that psalm hundreds of times, but today I noticed something new. The Lord is most watchful when we’re moving. Coming and going. Going and coming.

Our Teddy is a boy on the move. When he visits, I am on high alert making sure he isn’t riding his bike out on the street or wandering off into the woods by himself. I need to be on the lookout for swinging baseball bats and flying Nerf gun bullets. My ears are attentive to the sound of the rattling cookie jar lid and the crash of thousands of Lego pieces being dumped out.

But when I’m reading “The Bunny Book” to Teddy, he sits still and cuddles up to me. I relax and enjoy the momentary closeness. It’s magical.

God is all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerful so it’s not taxing for Him to keep watch over my coming and going. Yet, I wonder if He most enjoys those moments when I cease my striving and simply sit still, savoring His nearness.

“What is the chief end of man?
Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”
(Westminster Catechism)

Be a Bee

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Once upon a time there was a Garden. It was full of beautiful blooms and fragrant flowers. Garden creatures scuttled under the brush and winged flyers skimmed over the petals.

garden

Light and airy after a lifetime of crawling in dirt, the newly transformed butterfly was the most enchanting creature in the Garden. It hovered and glided and danced about with grace. It careened through the spikes of foxglove and wove between the wispy cosmos. Its wings caught the sunshine and made the Garden sparkle. Landing for only a second or two, it continued to flit here and there and everywhere. After two weeks it was gone. It had given a measure of joy and frivolity to the Garden, but had not contributed in any meaningful way.

butterfly

Another heartier breed also buzzed among the foliage. Not as light and airy, not as sparkly or whimsical, the bee was not on holiday in the Garden. The bee was there on a mission. This round-bodied flyer did not have the grace of the butterfly. It did not flit or charm. The bee did no stylish pirouettes. Instead, this one dove straight into the depth of the blossoms, drawing out the nectar, burrowing down into the fragrance. Having done its job, the dive-bomber sped out of the Garden and deposited its bounty into the hive. 

bee

What is the meaning of the story of the butterfly and the bee?

bible

“To get anything from our Bibles, we must plunge in. Butterflies wander over the flowers in the garden and accomplish nothing, but bees plunge right down into the flower, and carry away essential food. We won’t get anything if we just hover over our Bibles; we have to dive right in.” David Guzik, Blue Letter Bible, Acts Commentary 

In other words, be a bee.  

“How sweet are your promises to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 119:103

Letters

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This is the way I feel sometimes.

There are letters floating all around me and in me.
If only I could grab the right combination of those shiny characters—
snatch them out of the air,
shake them up in my hand,
toss them onto the paper,
then I could be profound.

Some days those letters don’t want to stop swirling long enough
to come together in a coherent thought.
Sometimes those ABCs just don’t cooperate.

When that happens,
I simply offer the alphabet to God.
I ask Him to arrange those twenty-six letters
into words, sentences, and paragraphs that please Him.

When my words are slow in coming,
I recall this advise on prayer given by Jewish rabbis:

“If you recite the alphabet five times very slowly,
God, to whom all prayers are known,
will put the letters together to form
the prayers you can’t put to words.”

After all,
He is The Word,
The Alpha-Omega.
“Lord, to whom shall we go?
You alone hold the words of life.”
John 6:68

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie

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My granddaughters love to create bracelets and necklaces with beads.
Itsy bitsy teenie weenie beads.
I have established a system for this artistic endeavor.

The puzzle board comes out from under the couch.

The boxes of beads go onto the board.

And away they go.

The puzzle board prevents the delightful sound of tiny beads bouncing all over the floor. Most of the time. The girls are very careful and they keep the pink beads in the pink section, the blue beads in the blue section, etc. I have taught them well. When everybody goes home, I put the boxes away and slide the puzzle board back under the couch. It’s all very orderly.

Until this happened.

It wasn’t the nine year old or the four year old.
It was me. I tipped it over after everyone was gone.
And yes, I spent the following week sorting out those darn beads.

I’m so glad it happened, though,
because as I was picking up all the minuscule pieces,
I heard the Spirit whisper.

“Some days your life is nicely sorted and everything is in place.
Don’t get too smug.
Some days your life is a chaotic, disordered, mixed-up mess.
Don’t despair.
There is beauty in all of it.”

“In Him, all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:17

Even the itsy bitsy teenie weenie things.