Don't Let Your Snow Yellow

Psalm 119:97 Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it day and night.

A few weeks ago Carynne's preschool teacher sent home a bar of Dove soap. My assignment was to shave this bar of soap into tiny pieces that Carynne would later mold back together into a snow man. Certain I was up to the challenge, I grabbed my efficient Pampered Chef grater out of the cabinet and set to work.

Around what must have been flake number 564,127 my hand began to ache. With just a few more turns of the crank my ache flared into a throb. Inwardly I laughed as I wondered to myself how my life had been reduced from pricing million dollar insurance policies to producing millions of little soap "snowflakes" that resulted in a hand ache so fierce I had to ponder if one of those fancy machines at the gym could be utilized to increase the muscularity of one's hand.

Today I am reading 2 John. 2 John is one of those unique books of the Bible that is a single chapter containing just thirteen verses. The themes of this letter are similar to those in 1 John so in some ways this letter is the "Cliff Notes" version of 1 John. He zeroes in on the importance of demonstrating love and remaining faithful to Jesus' teaching.

Following the precise instruction of Christ is so important to John that he says to "abide in the teaching of Christ" (Verse 9). To abide means to continue, remain or even to dwell. This implies both a frequency and duration of use. Part of the reason my hand cramped up when I was using my fancy grater is that it stays tucked away in my kitchen cabinet probably 364 days a year. As handy as it was to use for that project, its' lack of use leading up to that point produced pain in my life.

When I treat God's word with the casualness of use when convenient, my life can cramp up as well. And it takes far less than 364 days for me to feel the impact of lack of use. Often it takes only a single day of leaving my Bible tucked on the shelf before my words and attitudes look more like dirty snow than the newly fallen version.

Jesus, sometimes I forget just how very much I need you. Today I don't want to leave you forgotten on the floor beside my bed. I want to pick up Your word and let it dwell in my heart. That truth can melt away the dirtiest of my snow and replace it with the purity of Your freshly-fallen truth.

You Were There All Along

John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe so that you may know that you have eternal life.

The sensation of her touch was as gentle as the kiss of a breeze. Her voice matched her stroke and in a scarcely audible voice she whispered, "Mommy, I need you." In the midst of deepest sleep, I felt the brush of her hand and heard her delicate plea. I knew she was there. I fluttered my eyes only briefly to confirm that my sweet Carynne was beside me. In one sweeping motion I scooped her onto to my chest and invited her to join me in the delight of deep rest.

Today I am studying 1 John 5. In this final chapter, John reassures his readers that their salvation is real. He wants them to know with certainty that eternal life awaits them with their final breath. Those who believe in the Christ are saved.

Do you ever wonder if you're really saved? There was a time in my life when I battled this kind of doubt almost daily. I wanted to hear God. To know that I was His. I have since realized that His voice is no louder than a breath; His touch nearly imperceptible. How the can I know He is standing at my side?

When I first had kids, "mommy radar" did not come naturally to me. Both practice and familiarity were required for me to distinguish my instinct from my worry. After nearly 36 years of combined parenting, however, I have come to perceive the lightest brush of their hand across my skin. I now have great confidence in my intuition and that assurance empowers my parenting.

Far greater than the joy of emboldened parenting, is the peace of security in my relationship with Jesus. In this passage, John gives us two ways we can increase our level of confidence in our salvation.

• Love for fellow believers (Verse 1) - If I earnestly love God, I will love His people. The two can not be separated. Throughout this letter, John has urged believers to demonstrate the sincerity of their love for God by loving others. Love is asking how someone is and actually caring about the answer. Love is taking the time to ask questions that extend beyond the surface. Love is sharing your talents and gifts with the church. Love is making time to gather with other believers both at church and away from church. Love is action (1 John 3:18) and those actions lead me closer to the heart of Christ.
• Obedience (Verse 3) - Just as my children demonstrate their love for me by listening to what I advise and doing it, so do I show my love for God. I take to heart what He asks of me and then not perfectly but increasingly learn to do as God asks. As I learn to obey God, my relationship with Him is enriched thereby granting greater certainty of that relationship.

Jesus, I want to know that You are with me. I want to perceive You standing at my side so You can scoop me into Your arms and invite me into that place of quiet rest. Both practice (obedience) and familiarity (loving You by loving others) are required. As I grow in both love and obedience, I realize it's You that's been there all along caressing my soul and whispering tender words of Your great love for me.

An Imprint of Love

1 John 4:16b God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Before I had kids I was terrified at the prospect because I couldn't even manage to keep a plant alive. After I had children I was terrified because I realized early on that they mimic everything they see me do. This is especially true in my case since I have four girls - hence four little proteges.

Never is this more apparent to me than when I hear them play with their babies. Echoes of my voice resound in my ear - sometimes pleasant, other times harsh. This morning, however, I overheard Carynne as she comforted her baby, "Sweetie, I need you to be quiet now. Mommy is spending time with Jesus."

Today's passage is 1 John 4. Here we learn that it is through demonstrating our love for others that our love for God is confirmed. When I see the reflection of my life in the mirror my children hold, I am not always pleased. My words boomerang back to me laced with sarcasm or riddled with impatience. The words I heard Carynne speak today tell me that my love for Jesus is apparent to my kids because my tone when I speak of Him is saturated with love. There is no better way I could love my children than to teach them to love Jesus.

I strive for every word I speak to be kind, beneficial and true (Ephesians 4:29). Clearly, not every word meets that standard in speech or in tone. Despite that, I have managed to imprint on my girls a pattern of speech that communicates a sincere love for Jesus.

Jesus, some days I get so busy doing things for my kids that I forget that the most loving thing I can do for my children is spend time with You. Today I will let my love for You overflow and spill onto them all. May that passionate love for You cover over anything they learn from along the way that I really wish they hadn't. In the end, I only want to leave an imprint of love.

No Greater Love

1 John 3:1a See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God.

It was a night I won't soon forget. As the warm ocean breeze tossed my hair, the salty scent of the ocean mixed with the savory fragrance of the beachfront restaurant to create an intoxicating atmosphere of contentment and anticipation. I was beginning to wonder if this man God had brought into my life might be His intended partner for me.

My thoughts were interrupted by the music of my loved one's voice. He murmured, "I have something I need to tell you." "I have fallen in love with your daughters but I don't want them to feel obligated to return the sentiment so I can't tell them until they tell me first." In a solitary instant my heart stopped and started. I knew in that precise moment the answer to my musings. Scott Milholland was indeed the love of my life.

This morning I am reading 1 John 3. This chapter scrutinizes what characterizes authentic Christian love. It far surpasses expectations (Verse 1) and proves its' sincerity with actions (Verses 16-18). Scott has substantiated his love for me and his daughters as genuine.

• He Adopted Hannah and Hayleigh in Love (Verse 1) - While there is no official legal document certifying him as their daddy, Scott has chosen to love Hannah and Hayleigh without an ounce of restraint. In fact, anyone meeting our family for the first time just assumes that all four girls were born to Scott because of the tender yet impartial way he renders his love to our children. We know that God loves us because we are called children of God.
• He Lays Down His Life for Them (Verse 16) - Almost no shadow remains of whom Scott was prior to giving his heart away to my girls. He has exchanged bravado for gentleness, golf for family time and his television programs for theirs. He willingly gave his life in order to maximize his life with us. We know that God loves us because He laid down his life for us.
• He Meets Their Needs (Verse 17) - I have watched my dear husband eat peanuts and pretzels for lunch every day to pay for dreams of dance of cheer. I have witnessed Scott give up watching sports on the weekends to "date" his daughters. I have observed him wear clothes, both worn and tattered to buy a dress for a school dance. We know that God loves us because He always meets our needs.

No my husband isn't God but he is certainly a remarkable picture of the transforming power evident in a life surrendered to Jesus. I understand more clearly how vast God's love for me must be by seeing my husband's love in action.

Jesus, thank you for giving me and my oldest two daughters such an amazing man. Today help me love in the measure You've taught Scott to love. I want to love strangers like they are family. I want to love neighbors sacrificially. I want to love my community practically. I want to love like You, Jesus.

Turn the Light On!

1 John 1:10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

My master bedroom is your basic square. One wall is dominated by our king-size bed with an intricately hand-carved mahogany chest anchoring the foot of the bed. The adjoining wall is home to our dresser. As you move to the wall opposite from the bed, our exterior windows meet at the back corner of our house. From that corner juts our exercise bike positioned with a vantage point of both the door and the television opposite our bed.

A few nights ago, my husband preceded me in sleep. This is a rare occurrence in our household and I am less than an expert at navigating our bedroom in the dark. The night was moonless and overcast, so our room was utter darkness. As I stumbled around our room, I knocked my right shin into our exercise bike and my left knee into the trunk. The following morning I was greeted by two lovely bruises to remind me of my midnight escapade.

This morning my reading is the 2nd chapter of 1 John. John is calling Christians to a remembrance of the teaching which laid the foundation of the early church. Several topics are addressed here but today I am drawn to Verse 9. "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness." My heart is pierced by this truth.

• Choice - The other night I chose not to turn on a light because I didn't want to disturb my hard-working sweetheart. I could have easily used my cell phone or side lighting to avoid the impending disaster. When I hold resentment in my heart, I fumble in the dark by choice. Jesus is the ultimate flashlight source of light. He is light and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). I must decide to access the Light.
• Contusion - Just as my legs showed the obvious signs of my blundering around in the dark, so too will my life display the scars of carrying bitterness. When I hold onto anger, I wrongly assume I am somehow punishing the other person. As my former pastor, Jack Graham has observed, "Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." It is my soul that is distorted by the darkness of hatred.

Jesus, today I ask you to search my heart. If there is any person toward whom I am harboring an offense, I pray that I would allow Your light to infiltrate my darkness. Today I'm going to turn on the Light!

You Can Call on Me Sister When You Need a Hand

John 20:29b Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

My parents live next door to a woman who has five children with a sixth soon to be delivered. Last Saturday her thirty-eight year old husband died of a massive stroke. A week ago she was waking up to life as she knew it. Shuttling kids here and there, wiping noses, cleaning up messes and praying her husband returns from work on time. Today no husband will return home. She has been thrust into a new normal - one she likely never imagined or perhaps never believed she could survive.

Today I read 1 John 1. This reading was different, however, because it came out of the fresh, new Bible I received from Scott for Christmas. I should be excited but my enthusiasm is dampened with dread. Every sermon note and inspiration I have collected for the last twenty years is written on the pages of that crumbling book. Everything I've experienced with Christ is now tucked away on a shelf.

When John drafted this first letter, Jesus had not walked on the earth for as many as sixty years. Every other apostle had been "shelved" to heaven taking his eyewitness account of the resurrected Christ with him. John alone could certify the voracity of the gospel accounts.

John, my Mom's neighbor and I all share this in common today - it is just us and Jesus. As I look over the precipice of a fresh Bible, I identify with how every new believer must feel. It is as every bit as intimidating for them to look at the blank pages of their new faith as it for Mom's friend to look into a life of raising six children without a husband.

John opens his epistle with the words, "that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands..." (Verse 1) John was the last apostle to be able to proclaim these words. For the rest of us, it's just us and Jesus. Only we haven't actually seen Him with our eyes or touched Him with our hands. In every church there are dozens of people who've never dented the spine of their Bible. They might be intimated. They might not know where to start or what to read. They could just need a friend to wrap their hand over theirs and open the book of Emmanuel - God with us - with them.

Jesus, today I cannot comfort my mom's neighbor but I can pray. No doubt within a few hundred feet of where I sit this very moment are people to want to read Your story but just don't know how to begin. Today as I commence on this fresh journey with You in my new Bible, may I reach out my hand and help even one person to finally dent the spine of Your life-giving book.

If George Lucas Only Knew...

2 Peter 3:8b With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

I had only left Clara (then 2) and Carynne (then 1) unattended for a maximum of fifteen minutes. During the time it took me to trade out the laundry, the two of them had somehow discovered the long-missing ingredient to bending the space time continuum. How else could they have wreaked such havoc in such a short period of time?

When I emerged from the laundry room, I found the two of them "finger painting" our carpet, the stone surround of our fireplace and particularly each other with bottles of blue and green food dye. This was no marginal job either. Their tiny fingers must have worked at lightning speed to cover so much ground so quickly.

Today I completed the book of 2 Peter by reading the third and final chapter. Peter is encouraging his readers to be patient as they wait for Jesus to return once again to earth. It has been nearly two thousand years since Peter penned those words. Jesus has not yet returned. Truly a thousand years is like a day to God (Verse 8). Do you ever wonder what it is that God is waiting for? Do you ever question why His time passes so slowly when you yearn for Him to act now?

I have observed that the longer I wait on hold to speak to a customer service representative, the less likely I am to actually distinguish their voice from the "elevator music" and advertising. I have actually waited on the phone as long as forty-five minutes and had the representative hang up before I could "come to" and acknowledge their greeting. My relationship with God is like that. When I get tired of waiting on Him, I begin to tune out His voice and when He finally does speak or act, I tend to miss it.

Peter gives me two insights of what I can do when God places me on "hold" to ensure that I hear His voice when He finally speaks.

1. Grow in Grace (Verse 18) - I don't exactly have to look for opportunities to grow in grace. There has either been an overpopulation of bone heads in every city in which I've resided or we're all boneheads. Since I am a certified bonehead, I'm fairly certain it's the latter. Occasions to grow in grace, present themselves in my life every day. The question is am I growing in these moments or tuning them out as if they are little more than elevator music?
2. Grow in Knowledge (Verse 18) - The more I learn about God, the more readily I hear His voice when He speaks. Today there is more ways to learn about and connect with God's Word than ever before. Am I passionately pursuing God or simply muddling through life and treating God's Word as if it is wait time advertising?

Eventually, the physical evidence of Clara and Carynne's handiwork dwindled. A combination of soap and time erased their imprint on our home and each other. God, however, doesn't tarry so that His imprint will fade. Instead, as He lingers, it is His heart that His impression on my life would enlarge rather than abate.

Jesus, I may never fully understand why You wait but now I know what I can do while I wait. When I find myself on hold today, may I bend Your space-time continuum and multiply the time and opportunities You give me to grow in grace and knowledge.