A Ride of Reckless Abandon

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Psalm 37:7

Me with Hayleigh, February 2012

Last February, I visited Disney World with my second of four daughters for the National Cheerleading Championship. The competition is thrilling. The time spent one on one with my daughter is far more precious.

As we boarded the roller coaster, Space Mountain, Hayleigh asked if could ride together. Could we? That’s like asking if a mom of four has too much laundry to do. You bet!

Space Mountain is a favorite for me. There’s something about speeding through the dark to destination unknown that calls to the adventurer living in my heart. Why then does that same heart bristle when situation unknown lies around the corner of my life?

My Disney experience is relatively safe. I know it will end in 2 ½ minutes and I’ll be greeted by a friendly ride operator who sends me off with wishes for a magical day. The ride offers an identical thrill to thousands day after day.

The life planned by my Creator is individual with twists and turns unique to me. It has periods of indeterminate length in which I’m totally in the dark. What can I do when I’m tempted to scream and ask to be removed from His ride?

 Be still – Worry seeds in my heart and sprouts into fear and doubt. I have seen many a parent soothe the fears of a questioning child in line for an amusement park ride. Reassurance comes most easily when the child stops voicing their fears and listens to the parent’s guidance. When I stop, He quiets my fear and whispers words of encouragement.

 Before the Lord – The same parents who console their children, often stoop down to get eye level with their kids or sweep them into their embrace. When I struggle, I need to get eye to eye with God, press close to His heart and remember He’s looking out for my best interests. When I am before Him, He is what matters, not the unknown factors of my life.

Wait patiently – Like a never-ending queue line, the answers to my questions or uncertainties don’t always come quickly. However, when I’m trapped in a line and take the time to look around me, I notice interesting objects right where I stand. It’s easier to wait patiently when we stop looking at the end of the line and focus on the next step to take instead.

I have no idea if the ride of my life will last another 2 ½ days or decades. What I do know is I want to sit firmly gripped by His grace, belted by His love and ride to the end with my arms thrown up in reckless abandon. 

What thrill could  you experience with God today if You threw your arms up to Him in reckless abandon?

Lady in Waiting

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5

I looked up to and admired them both. My sisters, six and eight years my senior, were my models for who and what I should become. I don’t recall the exact date but it became clear to me they were in a club I was yet to enter - Womanhood. I dreamed of the day and wished with all my heart to join them.

It was under a cloudless Kansas sky, my mom drove me to the mall. This day was big. Huge even. I was just ten years old yet my mom acquiesced and we were en route to get my ears pierced. Step one of two to reach my goal of maturation would soon be marked from my list. 

When I returned, "holier" than I’d left, I strutted around my sisters’ sun blankets to ensure they saw the sparkling treats which adorned my ears. My swagger blocked the sun and I was soon shooed back into the house. Women only in the sunbathing zone!

Imagine my utter delight when just a few hours later that telltale sign appeared. Step two of blastoff to womanhood burst on the scene. My cycle had begun. This time I sprinted outside certain the announcement of my current status would earn me a place on the mat. It did not. The gap between my sisters and I wasn’t menstruation or jewelry. It was age - a chasm no physical change could close. I would forever be the younger sister.

At ten I didn’t realize much of life is spent waiting:

The nine long months of pregnancy

The years for an adoption to come through

The indeterminate span of time for a spouse to find work

The decade spent writing before the first book is published

The hours until your teen comes home

The years until retirement

All of us wait on something. For years I thought when life paused I was waiting on God. One day it occurred to me perhaps He was waiting on me instead. It's in the interims of life my character develops. I grow in grace and compassion. I learn patience and trust. 

Waiting is not wasted. It is packed with the precious. That's why I love being a lady in waiting.

You Better Watch Out...

Blessed are those who listen to me, 

watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

Proverbs 8:34

Her eyes dance when she says his name. Though they've been married for decades, my friend Kim recently revealed to me that her sweetheart has never come home from work to find her asleep. This might not sound like an extraordinary feat unless you know her husband's work keeps him out until midnight or later on a routine basis. 


She watches for him.


On our cable there is an entire channel dedicated to waiting for Santa. Jovial games, heart-stirring movies and fun music share the screen with a large countdown to Christmas clock. On Christmas Eve a radar will appear with which kids can track Santa's journey around the world.


Children watch for Santa.


What will my heart watch for this Christmas?


Will my heart run to the temporary fulfillment of a perfectly baked cookie, a super bargain or a front row parking space? Will my heart linger and look for opportunities to whisper my love for my man and snuggle my daughters?


This year I want to live face pressed against the glass in breathless excitement to watch for the One who fills the stocking of my heart. I pray that He would fill more of my heart so that one day my husband and children could say they knew my heart waited for them. Come Lord Jesus. Come.

Finally!

Sweet Friends, I am delighted to continue my series of December guest posts with some inspiring words from my dear friend, Carey Scott. Carey encourages the deepest places of my heart. She has a way of tenderly peeling back the layers of my heart to allow God deeper inside. I can't wait for you to take this journey with me as Carey shares with us her perspective on the prophetess Anna who witnessed Jesus' dedication at the temple when He was just days old.


by Carey Scott

“There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. 
She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 
and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. 
She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.
Coming up to them at that very moment,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
(Luke 2:36-38)

Finally!

I’ve held hope in my heart for so long and now I get to see – face to face – the Christ. 

The Messiah. 

He is here… right in front of me.

And I knew it was the promised child the moment I laid my eyes on Him.

That beautiful face. Those tiny fingers. The cooing noises gently escaping his mouth.

A limitless God coming to earth in human form to experience the confines of flesh. The Great I AM stepping out of the perfect Heaven into a sinless world… with the goal to save the world.

I am so humbled to be among the first to bear witness to this miracle child. 

With great thanks, I praise the Father for Jesus.

God is so faithful.

While my 84 year old body is giving up and deteriorating, the fulfilled promise of this baby brings a much-needed rejuvenation to my weary bones. I feel an excitement for this long-awaited answered prayer.

Finally… our deliverer has come!

Some may doubt me because I am a woman and not seen as a credible source… some may not believe me because I’m proclaiming that our Messiah has come as a poor peasant child… but nothing will stop me from sharing this exciting news with all the faithful believers that cross my path.

I will to shout to the world that the Redeemer of Israel has come at last!

And now I pass that blessed task on to you. 

It’s your turn to remind others about Jesus.

It’s your turn to celebrate His birth rather than go about business as usual.

It’s your turn to share the miracle and reveal Christ to an unbelieving world.

My friends, don’t be intimidated to speak out.  Be bold in your remembrance!  We should observe Christmas with gusto! 

Because it’s no ordinary birth we are celebrating. 

Joy to the world… the Lord HAS come!

______________________________

An inspirational speaker and writer, Carey is honest about her life journey…stumbles, fumbles and all. Her goal is to challenge others to be real and authentic and she does this through her blog titled “Let’s Get Real”.  She’s a little in your face, always honest and relentless in prodding you to stop living a life of comfort and instead get on the battlefield. 

Carey gets authentic with moms every Wednesday on Moms Together where she serves as a moderator and panelist. She also leads women through her position of speaker and writer for the LeadHer organization.You can connect with Carey online through Twitter and Facebook.  She is a happily married mom of two living in Colorado.