Perfect Peace

This scene brought back childhood memories of walking in a woods near my aunt’s house in the Fall as we gathered pine cones.  This path was a new one for me, though, as we walked into the cluster of pine trees.  The trees were trimmed back neatly to show where to enter from the open part of the path, and once inside, it was like a wonderland.  I loved to look up and see the tall trees standing so straight and elegant.  Pine needles covered the ground.  At one point, we had to stop and decide which way to go because the pine needles had completely obliterated the gravel path to the point that we couldn’t tell where the path was.  It was hidden.

Isn’t your life and mine like that at times?  We’re going along just fine and think we know where we are and which way to go next, and then all of a sudden the path seems to end.  The path is hidden or dead-ends.  It may not be with pine needles.  It may be a cloud of confusion hiding the path like fog on a misty morning, or the sun casting a glare on our path, making it difficult to see where we’re going.  It may even be people, things, or events blocking our path.

“What is hidden will be seen.
And what is out of sight will be
brought into the open and made known.”
Luke 8:17, NIRV

Do you ever wander around not sure which way to go?  It could be when you’re driving, walking, or just life in general.  The other day I was driving to a place I’d only been to one other time so I turned my GPS on.  I had a friend in the car and we were talking, so I’m not sure if I didn’t hear my turn announced but we drove in a complete circle and backtracked to the road I should have turned onto but had passed.  A big sign announcing my destination was at the end of the road as plain as day and had I been alone, I probably would have seen it and avoided the circle and backtracking.  It doesn’t take much to distract us from following the path to our destination, does it?! 

Satan likes to get us distracted, going in circles, heading the wrong direction, but all the while telling us we’re doing OK.  Don’t believe it!  His voice is so deceiving.  Listen for God’s voice that will never mislead us.  There will be times when you can’t see the path more than a few feet in front of you or maybe not at all.  Just stop and pray and God will show you which way to go.  I like the Footprints poem that tells us that when we think we’re walking alone, it is really the time when Jesus is carrying us like a father would his tired child, thus only one set of footprints instead of two in the sand.  Click here to read the full poem. 

Another analogy would be when you’re lost in a snowstorm and can’t see the road (or the sidewalk).  If a vehicle had recently come that way, you’d be able to follow the tire tracks, or if a snow plow had been that way, you could at least trust that this is a road since you see banks of snow on either side.  But if it’s a blizzard and you’re the only one out, it’s hard to find where the road is.  We need others to walk alongside us in the Christian life.  Then when one gets lost or confused, another can help us get back on the true path.

Have you ever given thought to WHY the path in front of you may seem to be hidden, why it appears to have come to an end?  What do you do when the path seems to have ended?  You have a choice to make—keep going but it might not be the right direction OR stop and think.  You might need to inspect the surroundings for clues.  Prayer is definitely a good choice when you’re not sure which way you should go.  If the path had not ended, you would have kept on going, but perhaps that is not the path God intended for you to take.  So stopping, reevaluating, and praying is wise. 

The seemingly end to your path may be there for a reason.  Look around and up for the reason.  It will guide you to where you should be and away from the wrong path you might have taken if you hadn’t stopped.

If I’d been carrying a broom on our walk, I might have swept the pine needles away to see which way the path was going.  As we stood and looked around, trying to decide where the path was, I looked way ahead and saw clearly the gravel path in the distance, so it was just a matter of keeping our eyes on that distant path to get us through the unknown hidden part of the path.

Don’t let your path be hidden.  Keep your eyes on Jesus as you go through life.  Let Jesus light the way for you and for those behind you so that you can all make it safely to your destination—Heaven! 

As a friend and I walked a trail, we came across this property that probably has quite a few stories to tell.  I have a quote in my phone but don’t remember where I read it or if I wrote it.  I searched the internet and couldn’t find it.  I like it because it’s a good perspective to have.

Leave yesterday alone – It’s gone.

Live today – Count your blessings.

Don’t worry about tomorrow – It may not come.

If this old house could talk, its walls would probably have heard a lot of conversations to share.  Maybe the children are grown and the original owners wanted to downsize.  Maybe the children grew up and had happy memories here and kept it in the family.  But their lives took a turn in different directions and it was time to move on.  Eventually someone found this property to be a treasure worth owning and living in. 

Yesterday.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve remembered an item I used to have—a book, a piece of furniture, a decoration—but thought I didn’t need or want any more and either gave it away, sold it, or threw it out, only to later wish I had kept it.  Yesterday is like that.  I often wish I had yesterday to “do over”.  I think there’s always something that comes to mind that could have been done, said, or thought differently.  But yesterday is gone, never to return, as much as we would like it to.  So leave yesterday alone.  Nothing can or will bring it back.  It’s gone FOREVER! 

Today.  We are here in the present, today.  We are alive and have much to be thankful for during this upcoming Thanksgiving season.  Would you rather recount all the bad things that have happened or all the good things? 

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the idiom “count your blessings” as to be grateful for the good things in your life, often to stop yourself from becoming too unhappy about the bad things.  That is a good definition and so true.  If we count our blessings, we won’t be recounting all the negative things in life.

Tomorrow.  How often do you and I say we will do something or go somewhere tomorrow?  But we are not promised tomorrow.  The Lord may come today and the rest of our tomorrows will be spent in eternity instead of here on earth.  We may get sick or be in an accident that ends our lives as we know them, and tomorrow will be a whole lot different than we had in mind.

A song by speaker and songwriter Don Wyrtzen has four verses that so well give depth to the thoughts of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  The story behind this song can be found at:  https://thescottspot.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/yesterday-today-and-tomorrow-written-in-1980/

Yesterday He died for me … This is history.
Today He lives for me … This is victory.
Tomorrow He comes for me …This is mystery.
O friend do you know Him? … Jesus Christ the Lord.

History can’t be changed.  Oh you can rewrite it like some try to do, but that doesn’t change what happened.  History is still the story of yesterday. Jesus died for us in the past so that we can have life in the here and now as well as for eternity.  What He has done for us is history and cannot be changed.

Victory is what we can have when we choose to count our blessings instead of our failures and mistakes.  Victory can be recorded in history, but it happens in the here and now.  Jesus lives in your heart if you are His, and He gives us victory when we let Him have His way in our lives.

Mystery is all about what might happen in the tomorrows of the next day or the next month or the next year.  We don’t know what will happen tomorrow.  We have plans and hopes and dreams, but as I said above, we are not promised tomorrow.  Jesus is coming back for us some day.  It could be any time, especially in the light of all the aspects of prophetic happenings becoming reality right before our very eyes.  Are you ready should it be tomorrow? Or today even? Or in the next moments? 

Jesus is the answer to our past, present, and future.  He’s been waiting for us in our past yesterdays, gives us victory in our todays, and coming for us in the tomorrow of our future.  If you know Him, you can be assured of tomorrow—oh, not the tomorrow you may dream about, but a secure, pleasant, safe, and loving tomorrow in eternity with Him.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8, NLT

Whether it’s a sunrise or sunset, clouds, a full moon or a quarter, single stars or galaxies forming a shape, or a stream, river, lake, or ocean, I feel God’s peace in them all. 

Any body of water is a moving piece of creation that has its own effect on the observer.  A stream might have a quiet trickle which I personally love to hear.  Its slow, gentle way of moving reminds me to slow down and listen to the water and other sounds of nature around me.  Rivers and lakes aren’t always as calm and peaceful, depending on other aspects of nature on any given day…they can slowly meander through their surroundings or they can be a bit more aggressive as weather-related happenings affect them.  To me, oceans are never peaceful…they are expansive, pushy (when their waves come barreling in to shore), abusive (when they are stirred up by storms and lash out with their fury), and destructive (when they unleash their strength and harm anything in their path).

Ah!  The sun.  The sun, too, can be abusive when you stay in it too long and get burnt, but the warmth of the sun on a cold day is peaceful and refreshing.  The beauty of the sun rising up in the morning reminds me that God has given me another day to use for His honor and glory.  I’d much rather see the sun when I get up than a dark sky which is the case now that we’ve changed our clocks again.  In the evening the sunsets where I live are pretty amazing most of the time.  I can’t help but smile and feel peace when I watch the setting sun.  It did its job giving us daylight and then it gets to rest along with us after making me smile.

It’s often said that clouds look like cotton balls when being described.  I think it’s because they are fluffy and white like cotton balls.  Even as you pull cotton balls apart, you can see the whisps of clouds strewn through the sky.  But I like to think of them as a big soft body pillow that I could climb in and get comfortable, wrapping my arms around, fluffing it up just right and laying my head in a soft spot to take a nap.  Clouds also look like different shapes at times.  I used to sit on my porch swing and watch the clouds go by, imagining what their shapes reminded me of.  When I was on Facebook, I would post a picture of a cloud and ask what others saw in the shape.  It was interesting because almost every time each person saw something different. 

Moonlight is interesting to see and it gives us some light at night, but not near as much as the sun.  But just seeing that big round object in the sky gives me a peaceful assurance that God is still there and He’s watching over me.

Stars are an interesting lot!  They come in all shapes and sizes.  Some stay in one place and move with the axis of the earth.  Others seem to float all over at will.  Then there’s the stars that twinkle, blink, or just stay solid.  And don’t forget the ones that work together to form a shape in the sky like the dippers and other shapes that astronomers have given names to.  If you just take a quick peak at the night sky, you will probably miss the shapes because you’re just seeing stars.  It’s like the old saying that you can’t see the forest for the trees. 

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Isaiah 55:12, ESV

This verse says you shall go OUT with JOY and be LED in PEACE.  When we are full of the joy of the Lord and allow ourselves to take time to enjoy His creation, we will be truly joyful which will lead to the peace we all desire.  Today go out with joy and allow His peace to permeate your entire being.  Meditate on the peace in nature as you take a walk to enjoy the fresh air, sun, and all the other creations God has given us.

We take meds to relieve a headache or other pain.  We change positions to alleviate pressure sores or tight muscles.  We leave the room to alleviate the tension when we sense an argument brewing.  I’m not sure what these goats were trying to alleviate by climbing the rocks but they were entertaining as we sat at a picnic table eating and watching them which helped to alleviate my stress.

On that particular day I was on my way to the vet to put down my 16-year-old cat.  She was stressed out and not doing well, and I wanted to alleviate her pain.  However, in alleviating her stress and pain, it became my stress, emotional pain and grief.  She is no longer in pain and it took two months for me to work through my own, but I think I’m on the other side now, though I know there are and always will be moments of flashbacks that will cause momentary grief.  I miss her but I knew she was struggling and it was best for her. 

The Bible uses the word alleviate in two places in one version (ISV).  The first is in the familiar story of Joseph being in charge of food during the famine in Egypt.

“If you’re honest men, leave one of your brothers here in custody,
then the rest of you can leave and take some grain with you
to alleviate the famine that’s affecting your households.”
Genesis 42:19, ISV

God had orchestrated Joseph’s life and his brothers’ lives so that they would meet again and give Joseph opportunity to prove God is in control when he could have denied food to his brothers who sold him out of hatred.  If Joseph had not been committed to God, things could have gone a lot differently for him while he was in prison, and his brothers and father might have starved to death during the famine.  But God chose to use Joseph to alleviate the food shortage for many people including his own family.

The other passage that uses the word alleviate has a broader reach.  It includes seeking, justice, defense, and pleading.  Alleviate is interchangeable with relieve, reprove, and help in other versions of the Bible.  Put all these words together, and it is a huge challenge for us to alleviate not only oppression (in the following verse) or famine (in the previous verse) but anything that is wrong or pressing in on people’s lives.

“Learn to practice what is good;
seek justice,
alleviate oppression,
defend orphans in court,
and plead the widow’s case.”
Isaiah 1:17, ISV

When financial issues press in on an individual or a family, we need to help alleviate some of their stress and strain however we can.  Share food from your garden.  Slip some cash into their hands or pockets to help them buy necessities.  Teach them how to sew or other trades that can help them provide for themselves. 

What can YOU do to help alleviate someone’s burden?  I just came back from a walk and was thinking and praying as I walked.  You never know what you might come up with while you’re outside away from all the distractions of phones and computers!  Allow the Lord to speak to you while you’re enjoying His great creation and getting some needed exercise—a win/win all the way around!  More about how nature affects our peace in my next post…stay tuned.

I enjoy celebrating special occasions with friends and family.  Just last year I invited friends, family, and church family to celebrate my birthday.  After all, it’s no fun celebrating alone!  I’d had birthday dinners over the years and a small party or two with family when I was a teenager, but never one with friends, so it was a very special day for me to have everyone present.  Today in this post I am celebrating my 100^th post on this Perfect Peace blog, all in a 10-month span of time.  I hope and pray they have been uplifting, encouraging, or maybe thought-provoking for my readers.

“This day belongs to the LORD!
Let’s celebrate and be glad today.”
Psalms 118:24, CEV

What days do you like to celebrate and why???  For me, days of celebration are happy and joyful occasions that I like to share with others.  It might be an accomplishment, a new page of life, a milestone, the completion of a project, or any number of reasons.  I’m always glad to celebrate with others, too…weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, graduations, holidays.

Did you know that God celebrates with us, too?  He does!  The Psalmist David said this day (every day) belongs to the Lord and we should celebrate together (let us) and be glad.  God gives us every day of life to enjoy and use for His honor and glory.  He wants us to celebrate with Him and be glad for each day He gives us.  Too often we (myself included) get up in the morning grumpy that we have to get out of bed and do the same things we do every day.  I look extremely forward to Sundays because it is a different day of the week, the Lord’s Day, when I can be with my church family, sing His praises, and bask in the warmth of His love.  I could do that every day, but it’s different when you’re celebrating with someone instead of by yourself.

It is definitely nice to have some different things to do and look forward with anticipation to special events, but God tells us to enjoy every day and celebrate it whether it’s the same as yesterday or holds something new.  There are people who look forward to a day without pain or a day without frustrations.  Others look forward to a visit from a family member or friend after spending countless days alone.  How can you celebrate with each of them in the midst of their pain, frustration, or loneliness?  Ask God and He will show you.

I did not mention a funeral above in my mention of celebrations, but a funeral can also be an affirming celebration of the life of the one who passed from death to eternal life if they knew the Lord.  They are no longer held captive by things that held them back on this earth.  They are free to move around, see, hear, and talk in ways they never thought possible.  Their sickness or disability is gone.  Their sadness is replaced with joy in the presence of their Savior.  Their loneliness has given way to renewed and new friendships, people to do life with forever.  Of course we who are still here on this earth have mixed feelings of joy for them but grief for us as we live on without them.  But the blessed hope of being together for eternity is a huge cause to celebrate. Today plan a celebration even if it’s just that you got through the day safely and productively.  It could be as simple as time to prop your feet up and read a book or as elaborate as dressing up and going out to a fancy restaurant.  But however and wherever you choose to celebrate, include the Lord, the giver of every good and perfect gift, who never changes which in itself is a cause to celebrate in the face of a changing world.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
James 1:17, NIV

I’m not the craftiest person on the earth, but I occasionally get the urge to try.  I was on a prayer team at the time and created patches for us to wear on our lanyards so people would know who the pray-ers were.  We should all be people who pray for and with each other, but that was our specific “job” at an event.  We were there to be available for anyone who wanted someone to pray with them.  I remember one time in particular where there were three of us at the front after a session and there was a waiting line for all of us to hear their requests and pray with them on the spot.  It was almost overwhelming to see the need, but also a blessing to be used of God in this way.

I found that most of the people who came up to me for prayer were not in a peaceful spot and their prayer requests were for comfort, calm, and peace in the midst of their tough situations.  Are you the kind of person whom people feel free to approach and ask for prayer?  Today I’d like to suggest some ways of being intentional in prayer that may help you and your church create meaningful prayer connections and help to impart peace to those who are hurting.

Prayer Request Box – That seems to be one of the first connection points that is established.  While it works for some people, it doesn’t for others…especially if there is no further contact.  Once the person drops a request in the box, how do they know who, if anyone, is really praying for their request, and what if they really need to talk about it or update it? 

Prayer Chains – Prayer chains are great if everyone who signed up is indeed willing to stop and take that prayer request to the Lord in prayer when it arrives in their email inbox or voicemail.  But does it end there???  ALL requests presented should be shared no matter how insignificant they may seem to one person; obviously they are important to the one who shared them.  Remember how Jesus told the Disciples to let the little children come to Him, even though they were ready to shoo them away.  It was His way of saying they are important, too.

Point of Contact – There needs to be one point of contact for incoming prayer requests and the same person sending them out.  In a lot of churches it is the pastor who is already busy.  He definitely needs to be in the loop, but assigning that point of contact to someone who is really into interceding for people can be not only a help to him but also an opportunity for that person to minister to needs by connecting further.

Prayer Team – Of course anyone can pray and anyone can ask anyone to pray, but having one or two people designated as a prayer team for each Sunday before and after the services can be a great relief to many.  I was on a prayer team such as this at one church and it gave me opportunity to share, pray, and minister to people who I would not have normally interacted with on a regular basis.  There may be an individual who wants to share a prayer request, but they’re new or shy and won’t just walk up to anyone.  If there is a designated prayer person, they might be more likely to approach that person.

Prompts – When sending out prayer requests, it is good to have a Scripture verse or quote that encourages prayer and gives the receiver a springboard for praying for that request, maybe even a suggestion of how you might want to pray.

Acknowledgement of Requests – It is so important to respond to requests given.  If it is by a prayer request card or an email, acknowledgement lets the requestor know that their request has been received and is being given attention.  There are several ways of doing that which I have found are very well received by others.  One is a written personal prayer for the situation in the request and the person or persons involved as well as the one who made the request.  Another is a Scripture verse to encourage the recipient, and for that I like to go to the internet and find a picture with the verse on it.  The picture brings cheer and focus to the recipient as they meditate on the verse in the picture.  Quotes from reputable Christians are good, too, but Scripture is always best.

Question for Follow-up – When the prayer point of contact person acknowledges the request, it helps to know if further contact is desired.  You can ask if they would like a visit or a phone call, or if they would like to be connected with someone who will pray with them on the phone or in person.  It’s also good to ask if there’s anything else they need help with (such as transportation, meals, or a babysitter).  Most people hesitate to ask for help when they’re overwhelmed with a situation, but if you ask, they will usually tell you.

A Prayer Meeting – A prayer meeting can be valuable for those who are intercessors, but not so much for the pew person.  A prayer meeting that spends more time talking about the requests than praying for them is in trouble.  The purpose of a prayer meeting is to bring the needs before God in prayer, not to discuss the reasons why things happen, the people involved, or what a person thinks they should do.  Something I heard in one prayer meeting really turned me off as an intercessor and more so as one who shared a request.  “This is just between us but…”  Don’t talk about the people in the requests; just pray!  It’s good to perhaps sing a song or read a few verses of Scripture or a SHORT devotion to focus, but that should not be the primary reason for gathering together as intercessors, and if it takes up too much time, people can get antsy because they come to pray.  We’re all busy and I don’t mind spending time in prayer, but then let’s get busy praying.

Pray WITH the Person – Never say I’ll be praying for you and walk away.  Stop and pray WITH the person right then, joining hands if possible and a quick hug after.  That can be so extremely meaningful and comforting.

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”
I Timothy 2:1

Ah, the good old days.  This 1954 photo of family members who have all departed from this world to their eternal home in Heaven pictures hospitality to me.  We all met together on holidays to share our food and spend time together.  As Fall morphs into Thanksgiving and then Christmas, things seem to get busier and busier for people.  Extended families make it harder to have the close connections and familiar traditions of yesteryear because families are spread out and new traditions are being made.

I think a good definition of hospitality is sharing willingly and gladly with others what you would share with your own family out of responsibility to care for your family.  Hospitality is treating outsiders (non-family members) as you would your own family.  Picture that holiday dinner table.  You invite a friend, neighbor, or some other person whom you don’t know very well.  You wouldn’t think of seating them at a separate table or serving them different food (unless dietary restrictions dictate it).  Hospitality is sitting together, eating food prepared by and for all in attendance, and sharing conversation.

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
II Samuel 9:7, NIV

The Bible shows us many ways of being hospitable.  In the above verse, King David had gone out of his way to find out if any of his friend Jonathan’s family was still living.  When he found out that Mephibosheth was indeed still alive, he extended more hospitality than anyone could ever hope for.  As was custom in those days, when a king was killed or deposed, his entire family would be killed to prevent them from taking over the throne.  The fact that Mephibosheth was still alive gave David the opportunity to extend hospitality and kindness to his friend’s son.  Sometimes hospitality takes on a face of caring for those who least deserve it, or those who don’t expect it, or those who may take advantage of the hospitality.  But we are nevertheless commanded to show hospitality regardless of the outcome.

Meals were central in Jesus’ time and a shared meal became the center point of Christian worship.  Jesus ate meals with believers and sinners alike.  A prayer of blessing over the meal brought everyone together in thought and spirit.  The most familiar and meaningful of all meals, of course, was the Lord’s Supper or as some call it, the Last Supper.  Jesus showed hospitality throughout that entire evening as he washed the Disciples’ feet, as He broke the bread and shared it, and as He verbally prepared them for what was ahead for Him and for them.

What are some positive results of showing hospitality?

• New friends
• Opportunity to share the Gospel
• Blessings for both sides
• A new appreciation or understanding for what others may be going through
• Respect
• Learning from and about others
• Ministering to Jesus through others
• Preparation for further service

“When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them.
Always be eager to practice hospitality.”
Romans 12:13, NLT

The above verse specifies helping God’s people who are in need.  That doesn’t mean that we ignore those who aren’t within the church fellowship, but all too often some Christians can be so focused on reaching out to the unsaved that they forget that quiet person who sits at the end of the pew in the corner alone and doesn’t speak up when they have a need.  There will always be someone worse off than you and I, but there are times that we need to speak up and allow others to help us whether it’s a physical hand, emotional support, or financial assistance.  If you have a need, don’t be afraid to speak up whether it’s to your pastor, a friend, or another believer in your fellowship.  Others don’t know what you need if you don’t tell them.

Thus far we’ve talked mainly about a meal, but hospitality can be shown in other ways as well.  When a family down the street has a house fire and loses everything, we can show hospitality by providing clothing for them to wear.  You notice a traveler’s car is stranded by the side of the road and discover they ran out of gas.  Provided it is a safe situation, you could give them a lift to get gas or go get gas and bring it back.  Maybe someone you know needs a place to stay as they travel in your area or while their home is being repaired.  Consider offering your spare room that is not being used anyway. 

Look at your resources and consider what you have that you could share with others. Maybe it’s a loan such as a car while theirs is being repaired, or a crib for a new family who can’t afford one, or a gift of other possessions that can help someone get back on their feet.  We all have plenty of things stored away that we never use which could be a godsend for someone else.  One of the biggest and least costly resource is your time.  Those who live alone need a second pair of hands or expertise to do some things.  Consider taking on minor car maintenance for a single woman.  Just someone to check the oil, fill the washer fluid, and put air in the tires would be a huge blessing, one thing off her to-do list that she may not even think about.  Kids can take the newspaper or the mail to the door of an elderly neighbor.  When you’ve cooked way too much, remember your neighbor who lives alone and doesn’t like to cook.

How will you show your hospitality to someone today?

Someone said that Fall is nature’s way of showing how great change can be.  I agree with that wholeheartedly!   After the heat of the Summer, I look forward to cooler weather and with it comes the beauty of how creation changes from green to shades of orange, yellow, red, and brown, blending into a perfectly peaceful picture.

The first day of Fall officially arrives on the calendar on September 21 but for me it starts on the first day of September!  I want to put Summer behind me and enjoy the beautiful colors, scents, and activities of Fall.  The names Autumn and Fall have been used interchangeably for years and both refer to this colorful season of the year.  The season is appropriately named Fall because it’s the time of year when the trees shed their awesome colored leaves that fall to the ground.

Before you read down to the list, take a moment to think about this question:  What activities do you associate with Fall and what stands out for each one?

These are the ones that come to my mind:

• Hayrides – food or bedding for animals
• Corn mazes – corn on the cob
• Halloween parties – apple cider and candy corn
• Hiking – hot chocolate
• Pumpkin painting – pumpkin bread or cake, Jack-o-Lanterns
• Scarecrow – decorating, protection against crop thieves

Did you think of others?  I’d love to hear them.  Write them in the comments at the end of the post. 

The last one on my list, a scarecrow, chases away birds and other creatures from trying to snatch a free meal from the garden.  We need a scarecrow in our lives to maintain the peace we so desperately need in our lives.  At first thought, you might say Satan is the scarecrow.  In some ways he could be.  “Scarecrow Satan” could be sitting on your Bible and when you come close to pick it up to read it, he scares you off with something else to do or think about.  But I like to think in this scenario of the scarecrow as “Scarecrow Jesus”, the one who chases Satan away when we get too close to temptation or sin.  Jesus is much more powerful, safe, and effective than Satan. 

Think about the picture in your mind of Satan.  It may be the old picture of a red guy with a pitchfork.  That would certainly be a scary image for me.  But sometimes “Scarecrow Satan” comes dressed in everyday clothes just like you and me and tries to blend into the daily scenes of our lives.  After all, he doesn’t want anyone to know who he is because you might tell him to get lost.  He looks safe and may even have a clean, soft side about him.  But don’t believe it for a minute!

Now think about the picture in your mind of Jesus.  No, I don’t mean the physical attributes, but the characteristics of who He is, what He does, His loving words and actions, and the way He protects and provides for us, keeping us away from bad influences.  I like the statement on a garden flag that I saw: 

“Fall for Jesus.  He never leaves.”

How true!!!  No matter what happens in our lives, Jesus will never leave us or forsake us.  Friends or family may turn away, mock, or even disown us, but Jesus will never leave us alone.  He will always be right there by our side even when we can’t see, hear, or feel Him.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Hebrews 13:5-6, KJV

So go out and enjoy those Fall colors!  Here are some things you could use as a springboard for meditation while you’re out in nature:

• Brown – Thank God for the dirt that trees, fruits, and vegetables grow in, and that we have shade from the sun and food to eat.
• Yellow – Bask in the sunlight of His love and soak it into your heart to draw on when a rainy day comes.
• Orange – Pray for people around the world who have different skin color than you as well as different traditions, beliefs, and livelihoods, especially those who are being persecuted and misled.
• Red – Stop signs are red so think of red as a reminder to stop and help someone else today.  Don’t be in a rush.  Enjoy life!
• Green – Look for opportunities to share Christ with others who need Him.  Ask God to help you grow in your faith and walk with Him.

Take a walk today—not a fast run but a slow-to-moderate walk where you have time to take in everything around you.  Drink in the sights, the colors and the way they complement each other.  Breathe in the smell of fresh pine trees, dried leaves, burning wood, and the fresh crisp air.  Listen to the crunching of dried leaves under your feet, the whisper of the breeze (or howling of the stronger wind), and the rustle of animals hurriedly scavenging for food for their Winter stash.  Smile and enjoy all of God’s creation!

I was out for an evening walk and hadn’t seen wildlife for a long time near where I live.  I stopped and was talking with a neighbor in a normal volume when this mama deer and her two fawn suddenly came running out of the woods, looked over at us and put on a dance for our viewing pleasure, and then starting eating apples left by another neighbor.  Of course I grabbed my phone and zoomed in.  When I looked at the picture I took, I thought how adorable because they were all posed alike, side by side, eating.  If I had asked them to do that, I would have been hard pressed for the same response!  LOL.

What does peace look like?  In that moment I think adorable fit the description of peace for those deer.  They weren’t afraid of us being less than 30 feet from them.  They were in tune with their surroundings but chose to continue eating.  Even later when I walked a little closer to return home, they weren’t concerned.  They walked a little farther away but didn’t run off. 

Is our peace adorable???  If it’s true peace, it should look adorable to an onlooker.  Peace is something we all want in our hearts and lives, though some will never admit it.  If an onlooker sees turmoil and unrest, they won’t see adorable and won’t be interested in what we have.

Inspiring.  The dictionary defines adorable as inspiring great affection, delightful, or charming.  That deer family for me was definitely delightful and inspiring.  To think they could have been skittish, run and hid, or worse yet chase me away.  There are people who inspire me by their words and actions, and I pray that I am an inspiration to others as well.  Some people have a charming demeanor and are beautiful on the outside, but it’s the inside that really makes a person what they are.  If the inside and outside match, great!  If not, there’s a disconnect that short circuits peace.

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”
Proverbs 31:30, ESV

Charming. Liz Curtis Higgs in her blog posts to beware of princess charming.  I highly recommend reading that link because she has some very good thoughts about being a charming woman.  If you’re a man reading this post, that’s Ok, read it anyway because some men can be charming but perhaps not always in the right way.

What is adorable or charming or inspiring to you may not be so to others.  There’s been many times that someone commented such a sentiment to me about a person or thing, and I’ve had to (at least inwardly) roll my eyes and think really? because I didn’t share the same sentiments.   That’s not to say that either they or I are wrong in our sentiments, but that they don’t have to always be the same.  I struggle to come up with a good response, though, when the person who thinks something is adorable asks me what I think.  When what I’m seeing is not adorable, charming, or inspiring to me, I can’t be rude and say no, so I try to smile, or say it’s cute or something that doesn’t agree but isn’t a lie.

That reminds me of someone I was shopping with.  As we walked along, I would admire a picture or some other item simply because I thought it was pretty.  They said, but where would you put it? What would you use it for?  After a few times of this response, I finally said that I was just admiring the beauty of the item but it didn’t mean I wanted one for myself.  People’s intentions and responses can be so different and be misunderstood.  If that person took me literally when I admired the deer family, I probably would have really rolled my eyes and laughed at them! 

Back to adorable peace!  How can peace be anything but adorable or charming or inspiring when it brings such joy and calm to us?  Peace is the absence of stress and strife.  Now that is adorable!

100 Posts

I’m approaching 100 posts since I started this blog in January.  I enjoy writing, but I would love to hear from my readers.  I can’t tell if anyone is even reading the posts.  Do you like them?  Are they pertinent?  Too long?  Too short?  Boring?  Please drop a comment in the box below.