Recently in comfort Category

Some fads seem to spring up in our culture and for a moment they are everywhere, and just as quickly, they are gone. I wondered at first whether Twitter, Facebook and other social media networking outlets that have spread like wildfire would share the same fate. It would seem however that they have found a place within our hearts, homes and daily lives that many of us would be reluctant to give up. At first, I just liked knowing where my friends were and what they were doing, but then something happened that changed everything for me. 

I read a 'tweet' from a friend asking for prayer for a little girl, Kate McRae, who is five years old and has been recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. There was a link to a Caringbridge site that told more of Kate's story and I began to pray for this little one and for the rest of her family. I asked those who follow me on Twitter or who are Facebook friends to join me in asking God to have mercy on this child. Many others did too. I now know that thousands and thousands of people are daily lifting up this whole family in prayer. A friend of mine who is the Director of an International Relief Agency said to me, "I think this is the greatest use I have witnessed of a social media site." Within moments now we can alert people all around the world to a particular crisis or injustice and raise our voices together. I still love to know where my friends are and what they are up to, but I am very grateful to be part of a connected community that believes in the power of prayer and support. 

There are many people who count it a true joy to share the things that make you smile and the things that weigh you down. You are not alone. 

"Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself." Galatians 6:2-3 (NLT)

It was early on a Sunday morning when I boarded my flight home to Dallas. I smiled at the woman who was already seated in my row but she didn't return the smile. She was a very striking woman that I imagined to be in her sixties. I thought, "She either just wants to be left alone or she is afraid to fly." As I watched her clutch the armrest for dear life I decided it was the latter. "Are you doing okay?" I asked. "I hate to fly," she said. "We'll be fine," I tried to assure her, "God will not take his eyes off us for one moment." She turned to look me full in the face. "Do you believe that?" she asked. "With every fiber of my being," I said. "Now I don't mean that bad things don't ever happen to those who love him, but I will not go one moment before my time. I have a race to run."

Tears began to form in her beautiful brown eyes and spill down her cheeks. "I've never thought of that before," she said. "I struggle with suffering. I don't understand why children die or plane crashes happen." "I don't either," I admitted, "some people finish their race in eighty years, others in eighty days, only God knows why."

We talked some more and as our flight was about to land I asked her what the purpose of her trip to California had been? "To meet you," she said. "I have no doubt now, it was to meet you."

What I saw again that day is how hungry people are to know that God loves them and is watching over them. If you know this outrageous love, don't miss a moment to shine. Perhaps you are one of the hungry ones. May I just say this; God loves you, as you are right now-don't waste another moment questioning that!

I have always been a stargazer. One of my favorite things to do as a child was to lie on a blanket on the grass and wait for the stars and the moon to appear. From a child-like perspective the sun seemed to beat down on me but the moon smiled on me and so I smiled back. Some nights the moon seemed so very close even though I knew from science class that it was a quarter of a million miles away. I was fascinated by the lives of astronauts and had determined that if school children were ever to be included in space travel I would be the first on board. I never imagined for a moment that not only would we be able to circle the moon but that I would get to watch as a U.S. astronaut stepped out of the lunar module and put his foot on the surface of the moon.

On the morning of July 1969, forty years ago today astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins took their places aboard Apollo 11 at the Kennedy Space Center and at 9:32AM they had lift off. My sister Frances and I watched it on our television in Ayr Scotland. Fascinated as I was by the launch, it was the landing and subsequent walk on the moon I wanted to see. The trouble was that the moonwalk was to take place at almost 11PM Eastern U.S. time, which was 4AM Scottish time. My mom said that as we had school the next day we couldn't possibly watch it, but it would be re-aired on television many times over. I was a very compliant child who didn't give my mom much trouble at all, but this was simply unacceptable to me. "Mom, this moment will never come again in all human history and you want me to sleep through it!!!" So we made a deal. If I would go to bed very early that night she would wake me up for a 'walking-on-the-moon' picnic. I will never forget the wonder and exhilaration I felt as I listened to those now infamous words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

When I went back to bed that night I left my bedroom curtain open and stared at the moon out of my window. I prayed for the men, that God would keep them safe, and return them to their families. "They are so far away Father. That's how you seem sometimes, too - so far away." As I closed my eyes that night I know that God was watching them as he was watching me as he was watching you. That is the great mystery of God; though at times he seems so far away he is as close as your next breath, only a prayer away.

Our son, Christian and two of his friends decided that it would be fun to go to camp together this summer. It's about a two-hour drive from our home but Barry likes to leave so early that we could almost catch the last day of the previous camp. We stopped for lunch and we were still two hours early. Finally the gates opened and we drove in between all the hooting and hollering of the camp councilors welcoming the kids. We found Christian's cabin and in just a few moments both his friends joined us. I handed in his care packages and his allergy meds and after big hugs Barry and I set off home.

"Just think," Barry said, "we could see a different movie every night."

"I know, and we can go out for dinner to all the places we like," I added.

"And sleep late!" he said.

We looked at each other and unleashed at the same moment, "We just left our son in the middle of the woods with a bunch of strangers who say they are Christians but how do we know that!!!"

I am coming to realize that this whole being a parent thing will always tear at my heart. Christian is growing into a wonderful young man but we live in a crazy world and we don't know from one moment until the next what is going to happen to us or to those we love. When that reality hits me hard that's when I pull my heart back under the shelter of God's wings because he does know. He knows what will happen today and tomorrow and he has promised that he will be there. He has not promised that we will be spared from pain but that he will be present in the pain. One of my favorite words is, refuge. I love it because when applied to our lives, Christ is our refuge in any storm large or small. He is our safe haven, our sanctuary. I have six more days of Christian's camp to get through but you may have eighteen months of a son or husbands tour of duty to get through. If you are like me some days the load feels pretty light and you have a firm conviction that God is in control and watching out for those we love. But there are those other days, days when you are tired or discouraged and all the old fears come flooding back. What do you do on those days? This is what I do. I find a quiet place and in my mind I take Christian and I imagine that I am placing him right under the shelter of God's wings. It's hard to grasp on this side of heaven how held we are by the love of God if only we would lean back and find his wings are strong. I may have to imagine placing Christian there but the truth is that he is always there, I just have to remember. I pray today that you will know the peace of God, which passes our human grasp, and the love of Christ our Savior that would fill every space of doubt and fear.

My two dogs, Belle and Tink only differ in weight by five pounds but in Bichon terms that can mean a world of difference. Belle, who is five years old, weighs fourteen pounds and Tink who is three, weighs nine. The most noticeable difference is that Tink can squeeze her body through the fence in our back yard and take off round the lake whereas Belle, with all the will in the world hasn't a hope. Most of the time I put Tink on a long tether so that she has freedom to run around the yard but not lead me on a merry dance in front of our neighbors while I am still in my pajamas. But one morning recently I let the girls out and before I had time to hook Tink to her leash of grace, she took off! I called the little monkey's name and Belle barked and barked but Tink was free and she intended to be fully present in every moment. I opened the gate and ran after her, making sure that Belle was safe in the yard. Tink would let me get to within a couple of feet of her and then she would dance off again. Finally she tired of the game and let me pick her up. I find it very difficult to even fake being cross with Tink as she is adorable but I gave it my best shot as I'm afraid one of these days she'll get out and run into the road. Well, whatever she received from me did not prepare her for what was about to happen when I returned her to the safety of the house. Belle just lit into her. I watched this mini-melodrama unfold as Belle barked and barked at her and then proceeded to drag Tink into a corner by her ear. Once she had a totally captive audience she let Tink have the whole speech. When Belle was finished, Tink got up and with her tail wagging at turbo speed, gave Belle a kiss.

I thought a lot about that encounter. Even though it seemed extreme to me, Tink received it in the spirit that she felt it - love. Belle is protective of Tink and gets very anxious when she is not able to watch over her.

You and I have a heavenly Father who never takes his eyes off us and no matter where we find ourselves, we are never out of his loving care. Even when we squeeze into tight spots, he is there, able to reach us, loving us all the time. The psalmist David put it this way,

"Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

 If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me."

Psalm 139:7-10 (NKJV)

I pray that you know that today, you are loved, you are loved,

you are loved!