Becky’s Blog

“Praise the Lord, O my soul,

O Lord my God, You are very great;

you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

He wraps himself in light as with a garment.”

Psalm 104:1-2

I love this time of year…….the anticipation, the decorations, the lights and the songs of the season.  This past weekend, as a family, we decorated our Christmas tree, wrapping it with hundreds of tiny white lights.  This morning, I woke early before the sun came up and turned on the lights of the tree. I grabbed some coffee and sat to quietly reflect on the coming advent season. My gaze turned from the tree and I opened my Bible to read Psalm 104:1-2 where the Psalmist paints a description of the Lord our God, clothed in splendor and majesty, wrapped in a garment of light.  What a beautiful description of our King.    

Splendor and majesty remind us of royalty. In Isaiah 6:1, the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord in all His majestic holiness, seated on His royal throne, the train of His robe cascaded down around the throne and filled the entire throne room. The glory of his vision prompted Isaiah to fall on his face before the Lord.

The scene painted in Luke 2:6-7 is very different. There, we see the King of Kings, the one formerly adorned with splendor and majesty, now enter life on earth as an infant, born into poverty, and clothed in rags. The difference between the two descriptions is startling. I know that we know, but – it’s so easy to forget, He left all the opulence and grandeur. He lay aside His majesty and splendor and instead, “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…..he humbled himself.” (Philippians 2:7) He came as fully God, but also fully man, so that He could embrace us in our brokenness.

It’s so very foreign isn’t it? We try to make ourselves something. We try to clothe ourselves in garments that make us look better than we really are.  We wear garments of achievement, importance, titles, or degrees. None of those are wrong unless, we are trying to find our significance in them.  Jesus, on the other hand, stripped off the splendor and majesty, and came as a baby; nothing to prove, nothing to show, simply secure in His Father’s love. He came that we too might experience the Father’s love. and in that love, find our significance.

A good question to ask this Christmas is, “In what am I finding my significance?”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” 

 (Proverbs 9:10)

 Living life takes so much wisdom doesn’t it? Every day is filled with decisions and choices; Which job should I take? Who should I marry? How many children should I have? What’s the best method of care for aging parents? How do I best handle my finances? Ah, wisdom……don’t you wish you could just take it in vitamin form?

Wisdom begins with God. The apostle Paul describes the wisdom of God at the end of Romans 11:33-36, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever!”

So how do we tap into the wisdom of God? First, we acknowledge that all wisdom comes from God.  Second, we ask. Like James the brother of Jesus wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask of God.” (James 1:5)  After I have asked God, I have learned the value of taking inventory to help me decide God’s will. In Finding Calm in Life’s Chaos (Becky Harling, Navpress, p.65-71) I outlined four questions that I often asking when trying to find God’s will in a certain situation:

1. What does God seem to be saying in His word?  I look for patterns of thought in my general Bible reading. Sometimes a certain pattern will surface that gives me insight into the direction God is leading.
2. What does the Holy Spirit seem to be prompting me to do? Remember if you are a Christ flower, you have the Spirit of the Living Jesus living within you. When making a weighty life decision – I create space to sit in silence to listen for the Holy Spirit’s prompting.
3. Which option brings God most glory?  God created us to bring Him glory so it makes sense to consider which option brings God most glory? Sometimes a good question that helps me determine which choice brings God the most glory is to ask myself, “Which way is the way of faith?”  
4. What is the best use of my resources?  This is a good question because it analyzes not only how to best use your financial resources but also how to best use the gifts, talents and abilities that God has given you. 
5. What are my mentors saying?  I am a huge fan of mentorship. I believe we all need people in our lives who are farther ahead in their spiritual walk. These folks can be a great resource in assisting us in finding God’s will.

 After you have asked God for wisdom and taken inventory – take a leap! Make a decision.  God will honor your faith!

This past week my son, Josiah and I had a conversation about trusting God.  He was giving a devotional at the mission organization where he works. In the course of our discussion JJ made the observation that two things often inhibit our trust of God; control and lack of clarity.  I thought that was pretty profound and true!  

Think about it. We like control. We feel safer when we are controlling our own world. When our lives spin out of control or we face chaotic circumstances that are beyond our ability to control the first question that comes to mind is, “Can I really trust God?”

 Similarly, we prefer clarity. We want to know for sure where God is leading.  When life feels murky and we are unsure of which path to take – we again question, “Can I trust God to guide me?” After all, He doesn’t seem to be making things clear!

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”  I called those two verses my life verses when I was twelve years old. In my naivety I thought those verses meant if I trusted God – my life would never feel out of control and God would always make His plans for my life clear. The problem is, it is easy to trust God when you understand His ways and when life feels under control.  It is also easy to trust God when He directs your path clearly. In my experience with God – He wants me to continually surrender control and rarely does He make the path perfectly clear. His desire is for me to live a life of faith – trusting a God I can’t see. I think we forget this. We value logic and reasoning so much that we like to have everything about God neatly packaged.  God will never allow us to package Him in neat and tidy theology. He is so far beyond our understanding that we will never figure Him out completely. Instead, He calls us to live a life of faith. He invites us to choose belief; That He is good, loving and faithful even when our circumstances try to tell us other wise.

How’s your faith today?  Need a little trust booster?  Focus on these passages of scripture:

Romans 4:18-22

Romans 11:33-36 

I also recommend this book for further reading:  Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning

Solomon, the writer the Old Testament book, Proverbs, had the gift of wisdom.  The book has exactly 31 chapters.  For the month of October, I will be blogging through the book of Proverbs looking for one tip of wisdom for each day. 

In chapter 1, Solomon writes, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning.” (Proverbs 1:5) We talk a lot!  We have a lot to say; stories for co-workers, instructions for children, advice for friends, and reminders for spouses. In our world of words, it is easy to believe, “I best influence others with my words.” Often we use our words to demonstrate our expertise on a given subject. I wonder if we have more influence when we simply listen? 

 How would your relationships and mine change, if we became experts at listening? There are people all around us who are simply longing to be heard. So, how do we become expert listeners?  I have a few suggestions:

•  Learn to ask questions.  In your question asking teach yourself to ask questions that require more than a yes, or no answer. For example at work you might ask your co-worker, “How did you spend last evening?” Then listen closely as they respond.  That one simply question may open up feelings that they are longing to share with someone – anyone who will take the time to listen.
• Listen for feeling words.  In a conversation listen for words like: anxious, worried, angry, upset, hurt, confused, tired or sad.  These words describe a person’s emotions. Rather than offering advice on how to “fix” their feelings, empathize. Simply listen and acknowledge their feelings. For example you might want to reassure them that you have heard their heart by saying something like, “It sounds like you are feeling anxious over your finances.”
• Invite them to tell you more. Advice giving shuts a person down. Instead, you might want to try, “That sounds so stressful. Tell me more.”
• Listen with your body. What do I mean by that? I mean fully engage. Look the person in the eyes while they are talking. If they are pouring out their hear to you and you are looking over their shoulder you are sending them a message that you are more interested in something else.

I am convinced that part of our spiritual transformation is learning to become a more effective listener. James echoed Solomon’s words in the New Testament writing, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)  Try it out today – see if you can offer empathetic and attentive listening to five people.

Recently, I saw on the news that there has been awful flooding in Georgia. I watched pictures of cars completely submerged under water and people frantically trying to escape rising waters in boats. Sometimes, even if there is not a literal flood life can feel like a flood!  In those moments unexpected life events crash in around us and we feel as though we are drowning.  In the last week we’ve had friends who were already dealing with the five year old’s leukemia, discover that the mom a 27 years old has a blood clot on her brain. The doctors are baffled. Lise and Jason are headed to the Mayo clinic. Another young woman (16 years old) we know had a seizure in a sauna and had her face severely burned. She lays in a hospital bed fighting for her life waiting for a skin graft. 

In these moments our hearts scream, “Where is God?” It is our natural response to such horror. I love the Psalmist David because he dares to be honest with God.  He questions God and pleads with God, “Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.” (Psalm 28:1) another time He writes prophetically the thoughts of another who would cry out to God, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?”  (Psalm 22:1)

 As I wrestled and prayed early this morning, I read Psalm 29:10-11. “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” I realize – horror in life will continue this side of heaven.  I don’t understand God’s ways.  I don’t understand why He doesn’t step in and do something when the floods of life rise. Though I have been walking with him now for over forty years – I still don’t understand.  But – I have come to the conclusion that after I wrestle, cry, and plead, I have a choice – I can trust that He is there and that He is good and loving or, I can choose to walk away. It helps me to know that even Jesus, hanging from the cross, cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken me” and yet in the end – He trusted. He told His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

 So, I bow to a God whose ways I do not claim to understand. I have made my choice: I believe He is good and loving. He has been faithful in past horror. I will trust Him to give my friends strength and peace.  

Last week my daughter was having chocolate cravings.  She got home late, after work, and went on a mad search through the pantry for chocolate but, couldn’t find any. In one last attempt, she climbed up on the counter and looked into the cupboard where I keep my candy dishes.  There she found a small crystal candy dish with a few M and M’s left from the party the night before. In her attempt to reach the M and M’s the dish crashed on the countertop and broke into a million little pieces.  The following morning, I found a note that read, “Dear Mom, I got home late last night….was craving chocolate….so sorry about your candy dish.  The mess was too big and I was too tired to clean it up.”  Trust me, I was cleaning tiny glass pieces off the counter for the next few days.  Next time, I’ll make the chocolate more available!

 Sometimes the mess of our lives seems too big…..too overwhelming.  We feel like going to bed and ignoring it all – hoping it will simply go away. God invites us to face our mess and bring it to His feet.  We are all broken – some of us just hide it better than others. Why not be truthful?  In Psalm 31:12 David writes, “I have become like broken pottery.”

 I really believe that only broken people truly worship.  Until we’ve embraced our brokenness we do not come to Jesus desperate and determined for only Him.  Until that time, we may run from our brokenness or, try to fill our brokenness with other things. In the book of Jeremiah God says, “They have forsaken me the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)  Only after we realize our cisterns are broken do we come to Him as the only one who can truly satisfy our thirst.

 And, our deep soul shattering is often the very thing that God uses the most. When we become like broken pottery, His light can shine through. So, face your mess – whatever it is.  Don’t run from it, or ignore it, hoping it will go away.  Bring it to the feet of the only one who can redeem and resurrect.  It is often out of “our mess” that “our message” comes.  

When looking at difficult challenges our first thought is often, “That is too big a challenge….I can’t!” God calls us to change our thinking.   

The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightening with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” Jeremiah then goes on to write, “The Lord Almighty is his name.” (Jeremiah 10:12-13, 16)    

When I am tempted to think that the task – whether that task is speaking to large groups of broken women, or starting a non profit, or sharing my story once more on the radio – is too big or difficult, I remind myself, The Lord Almighty is His name.  Nothing is too big or hard for Him. He lives and dwells in me and what He calls me to do – He empowers me to do. My strength comes from Him. 

Whatever you might be facing today, remind yourself you belong to the Lord. He is the one who stretched out the heavens and founded the world by His wisdom -  The Lord Almighty is His name – He can do anything through you!

Though the sun is rising in the East this morning, the bottom of the Mountains in the West is covered in foggy mist.  The peaks of the mountains are in clear view but the bottom half of the mountains is hidden behind what looks like a wall of fog.  There are times in my life when I feel as though I am trying to navigate my way through a wall of fog.  I may be trying to make a decision either in my personal life or in my ministry life.  I know all about make a pro’s and con’s list but even after my lists I cry out, “Which way, Lord?”   I am on that foggy path once again as I write this.   I am wrestling with some decisions regarding my ministry.  Just this morning I wrote in my journal, Holy One, I praise you that though I feel confused, You are clarity. I praise you that though I lack wisdom, You are wisdom incarnate. I praise you that though I am weak, You are strong.  Live your life through me this day. I may not know where I am going but you do……lead the way Lord Jesus. Though it feels foggy I will follow. My confidence and hope is in you.

After I wrote those words, I read Psalm 25.  There I was reminded that David felt and experienced similar circumstances.  He wrote, “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”    (Psalm 25:4-5) David goes on to read, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (Psalm 25:9)

Just now, I looked up from my computer and out the window, the mist is clearing…..I am beginning to see the base of the mountains.   It is as if the Lord is whispering, “Becky, trust me, the fog will lift, in my time, in my way……..Trust me that I will lead and show you the path.”   Trust is hard…..particularly in the fog.   But today, I will choose to praise Him that He is leading and trust He will bring clarity in His time.

The view off my back porch is incredible!  On the right hand side, the East, we over look Lake Stanley and on the left side, the West, we look at the Flat Iron Mountains.  Every morning, with out fail the sun rises in the East right over Lake Stanley.  It is one of my favorite moments of every day because the scene is absolutely incredible! This morning’s sunrise was particularly brilliant with color.  Pink, purple, blue, orange, and yellow; the sky looked as though God had taken out His box of watercolors and with broad brush strokes painted a masterpiece! The brilliance and beauty took my breath away.

The Psalmist David, wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”  (Psalm 19:1)   Every sunrise, every sunset, planets, moon and stars, all speak to the glory of God. Sometimes, in the chaos of our lives we lose sight of God.  We may falter in our faith. During those moments we need to look up! The testimony Of God’s faithfulness is written in the sky.  When you feel discouraged or depressed, look up.  God hasn’t abandoned His throne. His glory is reflected all around you. You may not understand what He is doing or why He has allowed certain circumstances, but the masterpiece He paints each morning and evening offers reassurance – He is still in control.  One glance at His artwork is cause to declare with David, “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!” (Psalm 18:46)

Recently, I watched the movie The Soloist.  Brokenness unfortunately, is not just in the movies….it’s all around us.  The lady in my Starbucks parks her little cart of suitcases right outside the door while she enjoys the free cup of coffee that Starbucks offers the homeless.  She carries on conversation as if she had a cell phone attached to her ear……but with closer observation you realize there is no cell phone.  She is conversing with the voices in her head.  I wonder what experiences her childhood held? Where is her family? Does she have anyone who cares?  It’s not just the lady in Starbucks. More and more I am aware of the pain around me.  I hear many stories of profound wounding and brokenness.  It is as if all of humanity is groaning for good news. 

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings who proclaim salvation.” (Isaiah 52:7) How can we as Christ Followers bring good news?  While we think of bearing good news through our words and sharing the Gospel specifically, certainly the gospel is the ultimate good news – I also think we can bring others good news by offering to listen.  People all around us are dying to be heard.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “The first service one owes to others is listening to them.”   He goes on to write, “Christians have forgotten that the ministry of listening has been committed to them by Him who is Himself the great listener.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (New York: Harper& Row, 1954, 98-99) Henri Nouwen writes, “We have become so contaminated by our wordy world that we hold to the deceptive opinion that our words are more important than our silence.”  (Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Way of the Heart  San Fransico: Harper&Row, 1981, 58)

 I have been working on listening in my own life.  I have found that when I intentionally focus on listening, God will often show me in the moment how to pray for the person to whom I am listening.  I wonder how often I miss this opportunity because I dive in too quickly with my words.  God’s desire is to use us as agents of His healing and peace.  Is it possible that we proclaim peace most effectively when we intentionally quiet our own voice and attentively listen to another?