How do the stories of Hannah and Mary impact you, as you ponder their reactions in unimaginable circumstances? Can you see your self responding as they did?
How might cultivating a greater sense of connection to God’s bigger story—His promises in Christ to His children throughout all of history--affect the way you fight for joy?
As you seek to be a better ‘gardener’, cultivating the soil of hope in your heart as you look forward to the fruit of joy, what do you need to do? Think? Write? Pray about?
Both Hannah and Mary utter words of praise for God’s kindness to them individually as well as express a connection to God’s broader plan for His people.They didn’t have nearly all the puzzle pieces of salvation of inform them that we do, but the object of their hope is rooted in…
-“He will exalt His anointed” …the Messiah
-“He remembers His promises to the Fathers”—“He will give this Him the throne of His Father David, a kingdom without end.” …the King
Here is what I take away from this:
I have much to learn about their personal lives, how they soaked themselves in the goodness of God to them. But, it is not enough to rehearse how God been good to me alone. (This seems something we are pretty good at in the West—“God loves ME.”)It is important, and my view is lop-sided without it.But if I am not connecting my heart to a deeper longing for the coming of the Messiah for all peoples of all times, then my worship and rejoicing can only go so far.
There is a bigger story that all of God’s people have a part in. Hannah played a part.Mary played a part.You and I play a part. We are all on the same timeline, woven into the same tapestry. We rejoice not just because we soak in His love for ‘me’, but also because we see the wonder of our tiny little part in God’s bigger plan—to bring together a people of every nation and tongue, and every generation of history to His eternal Home, to be their Shepherd, Messiah, King and Father forever. Rejoice!
Most of us have just refreshed this story over the last week— Read again Mary’s response after greeting her relative Elizabeth.
Luke 1:46-55: "My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. " He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. "He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever."
Now put yourself in her shoes. You are a young adolescent, probably about 15 years old. You have just found out that you are going to have a baby, not your husband’s. You are not even married. The law stipulates this crime (assumed adultery) was punishable by stoning. As soon as the angel reminds you that your aunt has also been blessed with a miraculous child, you jet to her house as fast as you can. For you to express this genuine response of worship, what have you been cultivating your whole life?
Just like Hannah, Mary’s response is the overflow of a heart soaked in the love and goodness of God—both to her personally, and to God’s people in the bigger story of salvation history.
Every year I have spent the holidays overseas... I suppose it's about 8 of them now... I have lived in tension. Missing family, but glad to be away from the commercialism of the US; remembering family traditions but creating our own which are quite different from anything I grew up with; lighting off self-imposed expectations of how 'pretty' or 'fancy' it feels things should be, and desiring to fill our moments celebrating Jesus in ways the girls will remember and carry on. This year was no different. So here's what we did.
First, an outreach at the girls' school. It was very simple-- a Christmas cookie in a baggie with the Christmas story attached. But these kids have never seen a homemade cookie...ovens are for bakeries, not used by your average home. So they are easily impressed! Of course, the cookie is not the point.
We enjoyed a simple Christmas Eve, with our friend Glo. Unfortunately her sister got sick and couldn't come. Somehow, our Christmas Eve menu has become Tortellini soup along with my friend Tina's herb bread recipe.
Then we lit the candles in our advent wreath and Glo played the piano for all our carols.
Now comes the girls' favorite part of Christmas Eve. This year, each week leading up to Christmas, the girls had a wrapped Christmas story under the tree. It enjoyed picking them out as much as sharing them with the girls. And now we have a basket full of fun stories for Christmas season! These were my favorites:
Room for Little One The Legend of the Poinsettia The Shepherd Girl An Orange for Frankie
Of course, what made Christmas Eve more fun than the other weeks was the hot chocolate and Christmas cookies by the tree. That only happened once :)
Now, here we are Christmas morning. I wouldn't have included this pic, (sorry Jim, I couldn't really cut you out), but the girls smiles were so cheery that I had to put it in. There is a reason they we compare happiness to "a kid on Christmas morning."
One of my Christmas morning delights was watching Ellie's sheer joy over her taking care of her dolly.
We spent Christmas afternoon with our friends... We had fun, ate good food, worshiped together, and I laughed harder than I have in a long time. It was a good day.
So what does Hannah do? She breaks out in spontaneous praise and rejoicing! Stop for a moment and read her song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. No, really, stop and read it. OK, I’ll print it here for you:
"My heart exults in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 " There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. 3 " Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the LORD is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed. 4 " The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength. 5 "Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes. 6 " The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 " The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. 8 " He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He set the world on them. 9 " He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail. 10 " Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed."
When I ponder the circumstances of Hannah’s life, coupled with the way that she reacted in her story, I am floored. I try to put her words in my mouth, and I am struck: there is no doubt that long before this event took place, she has long been cultivating a heart of worship. It’s not something she drums up in the moment. The rejoicing is the overflow of the heart soaked in the promises and trustworthiness of God.
Two observations about her praises: -She rejoices because she is keenly aware of how God has blessed her personally.
-She rejoices because she knows how her ‘little story’ is connected to God’s bigger story. In fact, there is not yet a king in Israel, but she knows that God will exalt “His anointed” – this word is mashiyach … in English, Messiah. While God has blessed her personally, she knows it is much bigger than her. She is banking on it.
Before you dismiss this familiar story, did you know these things about Hannah?You remember the story--the mother of the prophet Samuel, who sent her only son to serve in the temple around age 3? After God enables her to conceive she promises she will send him to serve God in the temple after He is weaned.But did you know…
-Hannah’s story takes place at the end of the period of the judges, a time when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”The city where Hannah’s family goes to worship is the city where the cut-off tribe of the Benjamites found wives by kidnapping women celebrating at a local festival there.
-The two primary priests at the temple in Shiloh where Hannah’s family worshiped were Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas.They were known for forcefully stealing sacrifices and employing temple prostitutes.Their actions were so evil that the Lord desired to put them to death.
So imagine you are a woman alive at this time.The city where you come to worship is known for violent acts against women.How safe do you feel? The men who will be in the temple where you are about to send your son are dishonest and abusive.What are you going to do?You really going to send him?
Well, as a mother of young children, let me tell you what my prayers would sound like.
“OK, Lord, here it is…time to take my baby to the temple.I know I promised, and I really did mean it.And I really was going to do it…but now? Surely you don’t want me to send him there. You wouldn’t ask me to send him to live among those evil men, would you?I’m just acting on my God-given motherly instincts, here—that is just not a good environment for a little one… I’ll keep him safe here with me till things look at bit more secure.”
At this point in writing the study, I was feeling like, “Yes, but still, isn’t there more I can do?” The next few “nuggets” are the fruit of that question.
Romans 5:1-5 gives us some clues:
Romans 5:1-5Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:2 through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. 5:3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 5:4 and endurance, character, and character, hope. 5:5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
I gather several important things from these verses… Follow my “tree” analogy, starting from the bottom up:
1. The Holy Spirit pours out the love & grace of God into the roots of our tree. Our tree stands in it; soaks in it.
2. Grounded in the deep love of God, we have hope coming up our roots.
3. Hope shoots up through our roots and bears the fruit of joy. Joy is the fruit on our tree. It is the fruit of a life soaked in the love and grace of God.
Romans 15:13 reiterates this same idea:
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The Spirit enables this process… and I soak myself in all His truth; all the reasons for hope He has given…thus I am filled with hope, and bear the fruit of joy.
So how do I cultivate joy?
I soak myself in the love and the grace of God. All that He is; All He has done. I meditate on it.I bathe in it. I let my roots absorb it.It bears the fruit of joy.
Want to see some examples of how this is done?…Tomorrow :)
When you consider that God commands us to rejoice, yet joy comes from God, how do you make sense of this? What is His purpose in commands that only He can enable us to obey?
Back to a question we asked in the last “Stop & Ponder”: So what do you do if you desire to rejoice in Him, but you're just not there? What insights have these passages added?
In light of these truths, what do you want to say or ask of God, the giver of joy, today?
As you may have already noticed, I have "post-dated" many of these posts. But what an appropriate one to fall on Christmas Day! Merry Christmas!
As I worked through this study, I kept running into "gold" that I found tremendously encouraging as they led me to Christ -- (yes, brought me to Jesus!) I'll call them "Sightings of Christ" ...
Jude 24 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
This word for joy used here is different that the previous passages. It means rejoice in exceeding degree. It is a rarer word for joy only seen in a handful of places in the New Testament.
-Luke 1:44 The baby John the Baptist “leaps for joy” when Mary greets Elizabeth.
-Luke 10:21 Jesus “rejoices exceedingly” when God reveals Himself to ‘babes’
-John 8:56 When revealing His deity to the Pharisees, Jesus says, “Abraham rejoiced exceedingly to see My day.”
As we see in Jude 24, abundant, exceeding, overflowing, bubbling over joy is our future…joy in Christ. In this special word for exceeding joy, the object of joy is almost exclusively Christ and the realities of eternal life with Him. There is joy, and then there is abundant, "in Christ" joy!
Besides talking to ourselves, what else can we do?
-Psalm 71:23 “My lips will shout for joy… I will thank Him. -Philippians 1:18; 4:1 Paul, from prison, says, “I rejoice; Yes, I will continue to rejoice.”
We determine to praise Him.
-Habakkuk 3:16-19 Habakkuk’s faith is deeply troubled when he learns of impending judgment against Judah…and HE is the bearer of that bad news! Yet He says “Hab 3:16-19 I heard and my inward parts trembled, At the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us. 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail, And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold, And there be no cattle in the stalls, 18 Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places.”
We don’t gloss over distress or pretend bad things aren’t happening. Yet we rejoice in those things that are true beyond our circumstances.
I’m the first to admit I don’t do this well. So don’t hear me saying “just do it.” But little by little, and with lots of grace, He can get us there… Still more to come :)
So we see clearly joy comes from God, but do “I” play any role in it?
In Psalm 42, we see the writer fighting for joy. Take a peek:
“These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng andlead them in procession to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him. For the help of His presence.”
-He is talking to Himself. The popular counseling term is “self-talk.”It has been around for centuries!But what is He saying?
-He is remembering.Reminding himself of God’s past faithfulness as he waits for restoration.
-He is rehearsing the promises of God.
-He is making choices.He is choosing to trust when he does not see or feel.
-He is waiting expectantly. He knows God will ‘show up’ again.
We all talk to ourselves :)But when you’re talking, what are you saying?
It seems that a few of my friends from the north want to give me a hard time about my extravagant reaction over a 32 degree high. Just to further justify my plight, today the high was 15 degrees. (Yes, I know that Chicago has a high of -1 today. I'm just saying, 15 degrees is still darn cold.) And also blow-you-over gusty. When we walked out of the door on the way to church this morning the wind gusted so strong that it blew Ellie back and I swept her up just before she fell. Our church is meeting in a new facility. It’s not heated. They have some of those outside heaters spread throughout the room—the silver pillar things heated by propane. If you are by one of those you are somewhat toasty. But if not, too bad. Your toes—can’t feel them. It was challenging to focus on the worship this morning.
It’s all about where you grew up. I remember the snow of 1984—5th grade. I remember it because it was the only snow during my growing up years in San Antonio. (We were only 3 hours from Mexico, ok?) There might have been other flurry snows, but this was the only one that stayed long enough to play in. Snowmen, snowball fights, snow angels—the whole works. Because it never snows, no one knows how to drive in it and so the whole city shuts down. We had 3 blissful days off from school. And that’s it. That’s the end of my childhood snow career.
Going to school in Fort Worth, TX, much further north from San Antonio—almost to Oklahoma, in fact—we had a few more events. I remember driving home--slowly--in an ice storm...The bitter temps couldn't touch my beloved automobile, an '84 (yes, it was a significant year) Chevy Caprice Classic, adoringly named "Bertha", which was more like an armored tank.
Then there was my first year in China. That was, without question, the coldest year of my life. Because that city was south (and don’t take the word 'south' here to indicate any degree of warmth) of the “heat cut off line” we had no indoor heat. I had a 1 ft. x 2 ft. rotating ‘flame’ heater—(I called it that because it glowed so bright that I couldn’t sleep with it on and it posed a major fire hazard!)—as my constant companion indoors. I despised taking a shower…being squeaky clean was far less desirable than maintaining body heat.
And then there was Singapore. The only times I froze there was because I failed to bring a sweater with me to our office, or our favorite hot pot restaurant, where they blasted the AC full force continually. Jim loved it!
But this morning, even my hairy husband was admitting he hadn’t worn enough layers as we worship was as our typically conservative audience turned a bit more charismatic than normal while we were jumping around to keep warm.
So you northerners who keep your thermostat on 55 and laugh at us weak-willed southerners—do have compassion—and send me some more long johns! :)
#1: King Asa was the great grandson of the wise King Solomon. His father and grandfather had turned away from the Lord. But when Asa became King, he removed idols, restored the altar and gathered the people to make sacrifices… “They rejoiced in the oath, because He let them find Him.” (2 Chronicles 15:12-15)
#2: After the first wave of exiles return from captivity, Zerubbabel leads the people to rebuild the temple despite great opposition… They purified themselves, and “The Lord caused them to rejoice” (Ezra 6:7-11)
#3: Jeremiah prophesies a future day when God’s people will be restored… “I will turn their grief into gladness.”
#4: Galatians 5:22-23 “The fruit of the Spirit is … joy”
As you consider God's commands to rejoice and mourn:
What does it say about God that He cares not only about how we live, but also how we feel as we live?
So what do you do if you desire to rejoice in Him, but you're just not there? (More on this to come!) In light of these truths, what do you want to say to Him today?
Today was a historic day. Today I bundled up with 2 pairs of socks (1 wool), my fleece lined jeans and silk skins, two more layers on top plus a wool sweater, scarf and two pairs of gloves. I spent the day outdoors. The high was 32 degrees. I'm from Texas, ya'll. That's cold!
WHY would I subject myself to this? For 3+ years since we moved back to Asia after living in Dallas, I have been looking for something to hang on the large blank wall above the couch in our living room.The big blank wall followed us from Singapore to China.During our team’s New Year’s party in 2007, I vowed that by New Year’s of 2008, I would have that picture.
Today, I found it at the "dirt market"...well, I found them. It wasn’t what I thought I’d buy. But you know how that goes.I bought 2 groups of 3 paintings, and I would love your opinion. My husband is making strides in willingness to engage in conversations involving colors.However, I do need some additional opinions! (Unless you really don't like either and then I don't want to know :)
The key to the difference between commands to rejoice and commands to mourn is this:
In what/whom are you rejoicing? In what/whom are you mourning?
There is a good, healthy, appropriate mourning: -over coming judgment -over the effects of your own or others' sin -over the effects of the fall: loss, a world that is "not the way it's supposed to be" -feeling with the griefs of others -because Jesus is not 'here' (present on the earth) with us now
Yet there is also great reason to rejoice: -in all He has done -because He is trustworthy -because of our future hope: He will make all things well! -because it is good for His children to do! -because it demonstrates who He is to the nations -because it blesses Him when we do!
So, what are you sorrowing in? What are you rejoicing in? He has made both sorrow and rejoicing, to lead our hearts to Him.
Feeling a bit schitzophrenic? First I tell you to rejoice, and then tell you to mourn?
Today I want to zero in on one passage that sheds great light on this quandary:
In Luke 7:31-33, Jesus rebukes the people: "To what should I compare the people of this generation?... 'We played the flute for you (sound of rejoicing), and you did not dance; we sang a dirge (song of mourning), and you did not weep' For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, "He has a demon!" The Son of Man came eating and drinking; and you say, "Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard..."
What is He talking about here? John the Baptist's ministry was one of rebuke and calling the people to confess their sins (a ministry of mourning over sin). Yet the people did not regard him nor grieve their unrighteousness. Jesus came as the promised Messiah to bring grace and hope to sinners (a ministry of hope and joy). Yet the people criticized His rejoicing.
The problem was not that they didn't rejoice, or they didn't mourn, but they didn't do either. He rebukes them for feeling nothing...For having NO appropriate emotional responses. Not feeling grief over sin, nor joy over the arrival of the King!
Just as there are commands to rejoice, there are also commands to mourn:
-Jeremiah's soul is in anguish as he learns of a severe desolation where the whole earth will mourn. -The priests are told to mourn because the sacrifices have been cut off from the house of the Lord (Joel 1:9-13 and 2:17) -The Spirit of God will cause the people to mourn bitterly for the One they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10-14) -Mourning is appropriate when the "bridegroom" (Christ) is 'away'. (Matthew 9:15) -We are commanded to "rejoice with those who rejoice" and "weep with those who weep". (Romans 12:15)
1. In the Jewish Feasts, we read several commands to rejoice -"Bring an offering and rejoice before the Lord" (Deuteronomy 16:9-12; Leviticus 23:15-21) -"Rejoice before the Lord with branches from majestic trees...so you will indeed rejoice!" (Leviticus 23:33-36; 39-43; Deuteronomy 16:13-15)
2. In the Psalms, there are many invitations to rejoice -"Shout for joy to God our strength" (Psalm 81:1-14) -"Let us sing and shout praises" (Psalm 95:1-5)
3. In the Prophets, there are many commands to rejoice -"Be happy, Zion. I am coming. I will settle in your midst." (Zechariah 2:10) -Rejoice in a future day of restoration because judgment is removed (Zephaniah 3:14-15)
4. In the New Testament--Yes, it's there too -Rejoice in persecution because your reward will be great (Matthew 5:12) -"Rejoice in the Lord always" (Philippians 3:1; 4:4) -"Let us rejoice and be glad; the bride is ready!" (Revelation 19:7)
But what does it mean to rejoice always? Does that mean I'm supposed to be happy all the time?
When you consider together these things that God both despises and delights in, ponder this:
What does it mean that we worship a God who delights in Himself? In all three members of the Trinity?
What does it say about the nature of God that He chooses to delight in His creatures?
In striking contrast to many views of "God" in other religions, (a God who is distant; capricious; whimsical in His acts; one with whom you never know where you stand) the God of the Bible is deeply and personally affected by us and makes great effort to make Himself known to us! Rejoice!
Not to damper the party, but God also makes it clear there are things He HATES, or does not delight in. Why does this matter as we think about JOY? By contrast, He makes clear things that steal joy.
1. God hates "going through the motions" without a sincere heart. (Psalm 51:16-19) 2. God does not delight in human strength (Psalm 147:10) 3. God hates a liar (but delights in those who speak truth) (Proverbs 12:22) 4. God takes no pleasure in fools who don't do what they have vowed (Ecclesiastes 5:4) 5. God hates those who pursue fortune but do not worship or respond to Him (Isaiah 65:11)
Which of these most impacts your thoughts about God?
Since our revelation about God is paramount in Christ, we may learn the most about the joys of God by zeroing in on Christ.
1. Jesus rejoices together with the Father & the Spirit--the whole Trinity rejoices together! (Luke 10:21) 2. Jesus rejoices that His Father has revealed truths about Himself to "little children"--those with humble trust in Him over those who are wise in the world's eyes. (Luke 10:21) 3. Jesus rejoices in the "lost sheep" found. (Luke 15:6-9) 4. Jesus desires deep fellowship in community (Luke 22:15)
How should these delights of Jesus reflect upon our search for joy?
Do you think of God as One who rejoices? Since we are made in His image, we learn alot by thinking about what gives Him joy.
Here are some things God delights in: 1. in Himself (Psalm 16:11) 2. in His works of creation (Proverbs 8:30) 3. in His people (Isaiah 62:4-5) 4. in those who obey and turn to Him wholeheartedly (Deuteronomy 30:9-10) 5. in delivering His people from oppression (Psalm 149:4) 6. in those who fear Him (Psalm 147:11; Isaiah 11:3) 7. in those who pursue righteousness, integrity, and faithfulness (Proverbs 5:8; Hosea 6:6)
Which of these images is most striking to you? Do you have a sense of God's delight in you?
As Christians, does our pursuit of joy look like everyone else? Is our search just like the world, but with Christ thrown in?
I love the way Marva Dawn uses the word "joy" in her work Being Well When We're Ill. "I capitalize the word Joy so that you will remember that is does not mean a simple exuberance, happiness, or excitement caused by circumstances. I use the word only when I want to signify that deep, abiding confidence, gratitude, and trust that our ours when are lives are transformed by the truths of the Christian metanarrative (over-arching story), especially the resurrection."
Why pick this "fruit"? Well, I would argue that it's the one we're most after. Christians and non-Christians alike. Of course, we are on lots of different paths to get there, but we all want joy.
Piper once said, "Joy is the deepest expression of God's value. The spontaneous response of rejoicing is the most authentic testimony to what you treasure." After giving a stirring treatise, he plainly responded, "I so want to be that way."
Do you? Me too.
1. It's about "my" joy...we are hungry for what we often lack.
2. It's about "their" joy...our joy shows what we treasure. Is Christ real? Does He change lives? Is He my treasure? My joy (or lack of it) is a commentary to the world.
3. It's about "our" joy...we need each other on the path and we don't travel best alone. We have much to gain as we seek to learn from the joy of one another.
4. It's about "His" joy... He delights when we rejoice in Him!
No, this isn't like chicken nuggets. Something more like gold nuggets. If you've read this blog for awhile, you may remember some entries about 'joy' last summer, 2007? Well, I finally finished writing that study. So I thought I'd share some of the best nuggets with you. I'll do my best to post consistently. Short snippets for you to chew on each day... I welcome your feedback and interaction!
Has it really been a week since I last posted? I have realized this week (if not before) that writing takes margin. Or at least reflective writing does. And there just hasn't been margin lately.
But as of yesterday, I've finished writing a study on "joy" I've joined in with some women here. We have one more time to meet, but the writing is finished (the first draft at least) and that is the most time-consuming part. I have really en"joy"ed and learned much, and I'm also looking forward to a break from the intensity of a major project for awhile.
Here is a great quote that I put at the top of our final study:
“…That which gives true enjoyment is the aspect of faith wherein Christ, by holy taste, is received into us, and made, by inward and spiritual apprehension of His sweetness and preciousness, to be the food of our souls. It is then we sit "under His shadow with great delight," and find His fruit sweet to our taste.” --Charles Spurgeon
Is Christ the food of your soul? This season, we are often consumed with food, yes... buying it, preparing it, serving it... What if, this holiday season, (in addition to all the yummy treats, of course) we took time to acquire, prepare, and serve up food for our guests souls?
Devoted followers of this blog have been waiting at the edge of your seats for a report since the last post about the tomatoes. As novices in the growing-your-own-produce department, we planted them in June. Very loyal friends cared for them during two long trips this summer and we expected our fruit by about September. When the temps began dropping in October without the slightest signs of growth, I told Kathryn we could bring them in from the balcony and nurse them awhile longer. Then we saw flowers. Fruit coming! 12 flowers--that should have made for 12 tomatoes, elementary plant biology, right? SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. A couple of green balls started forming...but then they stopped. Then when the heat kicked on in mid-November, some of the branches got a little to close to the radiator. Oops. After a whole month went by with no seeming growth, I told Kathryn that we probably weren't going to be able to keep them much longer. (The vines are spilling over Jim's favorite chair.) Tears and persistence swayed me-- I promised her we could wait a couple more weeks.
Then, all of a sudden, it happened! When I had given up hope, one little bud turned from green to yellow to orange and red, and we had ONE whole tomato that was ready to eat! In December, next to the Christmas tree! With much pomp and celebration, we picked, washed, cut and ate it...Well, at least K and I did... Ellie came over and said, "It's a tomato," and tootled off back to her dolly. Here they are--two more still green. I couldn't believe it tasted like a tomato!
The Proud Gardener
And aren't you also glad to know K's tonsils are looking good! :)
After we finished our experiment, K told me, "Mom, now that I've taken care of tomatoes and fish, it's kinda boring now. I really need more of a challenge."
We've settled in Saint Louis the last two years after a 10 year adventure in Asia. We have two daughters, 7 & 9, that are our constant joy and sanctification! We want to live life to the full--full of trust in God's goodness and rest in His infinite love.
