He Meets Us in the Ordinary

Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in... Luke 22:10

Just a faithful servant doing his duty for the day, carrying water. He had no idea that a world-changing King had just sent His disciples to follow him for direction. 

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them... Luke 2:8

Just ordinary shepherds doing their job, tending their flock. Then the angel of the Lord appears and their peaceful night is catapulted from calm to breathless. A King had come. 

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, "Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." Matthew 1:16

Just ordinary fishermen, rough and calloused, doing their job. Then a King walked by and called them to follow Him. 

And there came an angel of the Lord and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him. The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. Judges 6:11-12

Just an ordinary day, busy threshing wheat, and then an angelic messenger appeared. God had a job for him. 

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold the bush burned with fire. And the bush was not consumed... Exodus 3:1-2

Just an ordinary shepherd taking good care of his flock, then a holy experience shakes his perspective and alters his life plan forever.

So he departed thence and found Elisha the son of Shaphat who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. 1 Kings 19:19

Just an ordinary young man, plowing in the field and than an extraordinary calling is placed upon him. God had come.

Our God comes in the ordinary, the mundane, the normal. He is the One who meets people where they are and calls them to places they never dreamt of or imagined on their own. He wants us to praise Him, love Him, and communicate with Him wherever we are. He will come. ❤️

The Man on the Way

Tired, I sat by the side of the road
Debating which way to take next.
Exhausted with running the race on my own
I wished for a human to help.

Then I saw a strong frame turn around the short bend,
Slowly making His way.
His form and His gait looked familiar to me.
I watched till He stood where I stayed.

He said He would help me if I'd like to go,
But the way we would take would be hard.
Something about the kind look in His eyes
Made me say yes from deep in my heart.

So He tucked my poor hand in His strong weathered arm
And lifted me onto my feet.
Together we moved down the long winding road
To the narrowest difficult street.

He carried me over the boulders and rocks
When the going got tricky and tough.
Sometimes He spoke words of courage and cheer,

His presence was always enough.

At last, at the end of a long winding bend
We saw a large palace of gold.
The sun lit its face like a bright cheery smile
As we hastened to enter its fold.

A proud beaming King stood tall at the gate
With arms open wide to receive.
I bowed down in wonder feeling totally small,

Thinking I probably should leave.

But He gave me a crown and said I was His
Though I wondered how that could have been.
Then I saw my Companion's nail-printed hands,
And I knew what He'd given to me.

I remembered the troubles we faced on the trail
As we traveled the long lonely way.
He said He would be there and know what to do.
I could trust Him to show me the way.

I remembered how robbers had run at my chest
And tried to pierce life out of me.
But He stood inbetween and the harsh, well-aimed blows
Pierced the skin on His hands and His feet.

I hated to watch and tried hard to fix,
The damage I knew to be done.
But He kindly smiled and said it was fine.
He'd do it for one of His own.

I felt very safe as we traveled the road
To the palace He said was His home.
And I'm glad He came with me and showed me the Way.
Or I'd still be wandering alone.

How Do You See God?

A couple weeks ago, I jotted a few unedited lines into the notepad on my phone:

I used to think I had to leap
Across each hill and gulley.
But I have learned He'd rather carry
Me through dangerous valleys.

I used to think I should be strong
And carry all my burdens.
But Jesus showed me I am weak
And He would take the tough ones.

I've slowly learned, He isn't mad
When I'm lost in disaster.
Instead, He gently turns me round
To show me what is better.

I've even learned that if it hurts
He's teaching me a lesson.
The kind that brings me to a new
And stronger sense of heaven.

I do believe that I have found
That God up in His heaven
Is not a Master with a Whip
But a Father to His Children.

I don't know why, but somewhere in my childhood, I picked up the idea that I needed to be good in order to be loved and nice in order to be accepted. As I've grown older, God has been teaching more about who He actually is and what that means.

This week, I am entering a women's prison to share the love of Jesus Christ. As I talk with them and listen, I hear faulty beliefs about God such as He is alienated and far away or just laughs at us in our mess. As a friend of mine stated, "Everyone has a different concept or picture of what God is actually like." And from what I have observed, our view of God is directly impacted by the circumstances which we grew up in. An incarcerated man who saw his father shot to death in front of his eyes may believe that God is unjust and uncaring. A woman whose father divorced her mother when she was only nine may believe that God is distant and uncaring. A child whose father was critical or demanding may view God as malicious and holding a big stick. A teenager who grew up in a church or family with stringent rules may see God as a critical, easily-angered God in the sky unless pleased perfectly. And finally, a child who is raised in a family/community with grace and justice, love and truth, mercy and kindness, will view God as a loving and involved Father.

Unfortunately, life is not perfect. People and churches are far from perfect and until we find our perfection in Christ, we will remain far from it ourselves. 

So my thought is this. How many of us (yes, even in Conservative Christian circles) are living life with an incorrect view of God the Father? How many of us see Him as harsh, uncaring, untrustworthy, an unattainable Figure in the sky, or simply aloof and distant?

What if, He is different than You think? What if He is caring, loving, truthful, trustworthy, and very much involved in Your life. What if He orchestrated every minute of what happened to you? Carefully planned where you would be born, what family you would have, your church attendance, and what your life's work would be? What if He is waiting for you to really find and discover Him so that He can work in and through you as He really is? Perhaps your circumstances are not really a hindrance or frustration, but a platform where God can show His glory. Perhaps you are not a mistake but a masterpiece. Perhaps, you are not forgotten but remembered and loved. Perhaps your life is not at a dead end but at a new beginning. 

Many of the Pharisees and other Jewish people in the Bible completely missed Jesus Christ because He was too different and odd to fit their view point. Could it be, that we are guilty of shutting down God's work and the love of Jesus Christ because it shows up as "different", "odd", or "uncomfortable." Listen for His heart. He is there and waiting to be found. ❤️  

 

The Rat

A little rat
Jumped from a vat
And ran across our floor.
We squeaked in fear.
The critter dear
Had run behind the door!


We grabbed a broom
And with a zoom
We hit the poor rat hard!
He leaped and shrieked
Right at our feet
Then dashed out to our yard.

Sighs of relief
Came from our cheeks
When that rat disappeared.
The very thought
Of that gray blot
Had brought us nigh to tears.

So now our kitchen
Floor is fitted
With good old traps as needed,
And that old rat
From our poor vat
Will wish that he had heeded.

                                     C.H.