A friend and I were spending some time with God together this week, contemplatively praying with Psalm 1: 1-3.  The words that stood out for me in these verses were, “leaves do not wither.”

How does a person make sure one’s leaves do not wither? It sounds like what a resilient, lifelong disciple would look like. Part of our contemplation time was to slowly go through a magazine and notice what images jumped out to us and stick them on a page.  I noticed this image of a tree.  

It reminded me of a discussion I had led during the week with some Children’s Leaders about discipleship pathways.  I had shown them a diagram of a discipled person as a tree - rooted in Christ (roots), built on Christ (trunk), and living for Christ (branches and leaves).  The caption under this tree in the night picture told of Antoine Saint Exupery (best known for his novella, The Little Prince) observing that night is, “when words fade, and things come alive.”

Trees do their “breathing”, their regenerating and refreshing at night (photochrome).  They give out oxygen to us (photosynthesis) during the daylight hours.  I have found over my life , as I have come out of “night times” or “dark” periods, that it was in those times that a lot “came alive”.  Roots went deeper, I was made more fully alive and was regenerated.  However in  the “night times”, my words often faded.  Sometimes all I managed to do was reach out and grab a hold of the edge of Jesus cloak.  I couldn’t see His face and sometimes felt so distraught and in darkness, that I couldn’t speak to Him.  All I could do was hold on – that was enough! 

My words had faded. 

 

 A few weeks ago, my 21 year old son asked me, “How is it after 29 years, you and Dad still have things to talk about?”  He was interested, as he is navigating through his first serious relationship!  I told him that communication is one of my personality strengths, and words of affirmation is my love language.  I love to verbally express my emotions and thoughts and Dad has learned to listen and respond in a way that he knows I love and respond to.  But we have also gotten to a place in our relationship, where sometimes we do not need to use words to feel close to each other.  We can sit in silence, and know we are in each other’s presence and are safe and loved.  It is a wonderful place to be.  Both fully alive, but silent.

I have experienced the deep joy and peace of communing with Jesus in a space where words don’t matter. A beautiful, alive place where we are in each other’s presence, but no words are spoken and even thoughts are stilled.

Ps 131 is one of my favourite Psalms.

My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.
But I have calmed and quieted myself,

I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.

This it is not a psalm of praise or thanksgiving but of quietness.  When words and thoughts fade away; God is still praised in silent wonder and adoration.

Dallas Willard, authour of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality,  notes that silence and solitude are the most radical spiritual disciplines yet are the least experienced by Christians today.   Silence is a humble space, a total emptying of yourself while avoiding the urge to fill the space with distracting noise - a total surrendering to God.   

“calmed and quieted myself” – maybe we don’t want to do this because we are afraid of what will be exposed in this intimate place with God.  But we are invited there, not to be indecently undone, but to be immersed in His love.  Not to be condemned but to know His deep peace.    In this calmed and quieted place, the Holy Spirit can pour in His unconditional love. 

In this spiritual practice known as of centering prayer, it may not just be you who is silent – God may not say anything either.  This place of stillness and silence is a place without expectation of results or revelation.  It is a place to just be.  A place to regenerate, to become more rooted and to keep your leaves from withering.

We have been having some crisp autumn mornings in Christchurch this week, so I decided that bed was the best place to have some time with God today!  Eventually, I finally got out to the kitchen to have breakfast while continuing to chat with God.  I was meant to be leading a Children’s Leaders Regional Cluster meeting in an hour and I wanted to start with something to really encourage and uplift them in this 3^rd week of lockdown - an amazing verse from the Bible or an inspirational quote - but I had NOTHING.  I felt totally drained and empty! 

As I opened my fridge, I felt God remind me about a book in my lounge, so I found it and flicked through it while I ate my toast.    

The book is, Thoughts To Make Your Heart Sing, by Sally Lloyd-Jones, the same lady who wrote The Jesus Storybook Bible.

My eye was drawn to the page below, probably because birds or images of birds have been a way that God has profoundly spoken to me in the past on many occasions.

Job 12: 7-10

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;  or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

Sally Lloyd-Jones wrote, 

Did you know God wants us to be bird watchers?  He says:

Look at the sparrow: they are not very important and yet I love them all and know all about them.  How much more must I love you?

Look at the ravens: they don’t sow or reap.  They have no barns or pantries. Yet I feed them.  How much more will I look after you?

Look at the storks:  they go away but they always come home. Be always coming home to me!

Be like little birds who know their Heavenly Father loves them and will take care of them.

Be like the birds who look to me for what they need at the proper time – look to me for EVERYTHING!

This reminded me of the verses in Matthew 6:26-27

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

What a weight lifted off my shoulders in that moment.  I “know” this verse, have taught on it many times, but it was as if it was fresh and nourishing food for me that morning. I love how the Word of God is living and active.

I don’t need to worry:  Have I done enough to reach out to the children during this lockdown? Are parents using the resources I have emailed out?  Are my leaders ok? Have I made enough phone calls or had enough Zoom meetings?  How many reactions have I had to the Facebook posts?

Have I given enough? Should I be doing more? What else can I give?

I have nothing else!

What a relief to be reminded that my God has EVERYTHING I need.   He has EVERYTHING our families need.  All He asks me to do is simply look to Him for EVERYTHING! 

Play with God

At this time, I have heard from several parents who say they have noticed how their children have been very happy and settled over the past few weeks and have been enjoying more attention from their parents.  One mum said to me that her 2 year old was wandering around the house singing almost all day long!!  Maybe some parents have had more time to PLAY with their children too.   Maybe they have had more time to just hang out with their kids without the normal distractions, after school activities and events that fill our lives.  Just to BE.

While I acknowledge this may not be the case in all homes, it led me to wonder, what God’s invitation to me was in this. 

Psalm 131 v2 (TPT)

“I am humbled and quieted in your presence.  Like a contented child who rests on its mother’s lap.  I’m your resting child and my soul is content in you.”

What does it look like for me to be like a child, resting in the lap of Jesus?  What does it look like for me to PLAY with Jesus?  Not to have any agenda, no list of things to talk about, but just to hang out, laugh and just to BE. 

V3 goes on to say, “O people of God, your time has come to quietly trust, waiting upon the Lord now and forever”. 

I would like to replace my name in this verse, maybe you would too.  “Rachel, your time has come to quietly trust, waiting up the Lord, now and forever”.

There are many things that can run helter-skelter though our minds at this time, but I choose to just BE.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

I'm NOT busy

I have noticed recently that when you go up to a checkout at supermarket/shop often the phrase that is used instead of, ”Hello” is “You having a busy day?”  It just rolls off their tongue and they are not really wanting to know or even expecting an answer.  It is similar to people greeting you with, “How are you?”.  If you stopped and actually told them, it would not be acceptable.  No one really wants to know the answer, it has just become a normal greeting phrase.

I am starting a personal campaign.  When I am asked in a public setting, “Are you busy?” I will answer, with something like, “No, I am not thanks.”  The reaction is interesting.  Mostly it seems to invoke shock in the other person as they are so used to hearing, ‘Yes I am!”, “Crazy, frantic – so much to do!! “

Why has this become the norm, the expected response or state of mind?

I have struggled over the years from “DOING” rather than "BEING".  I filled my day with so much doing.   My close friends have pointed out that I haven’t stopped to spend time with them, because there is not space in my diary for them!  Not good!

 

Jesus said, John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”, but I am sure he didn’t mean it in this way.  Full doesn’t equate to being busy – it means, in fullness, complete, lacking nothing, whole.  

When you are doing something you love it brings you alive – you may have lots to get done in a day, but you are not overwhelmed with that feeling of busyness because you are living out of your passion and are energized.  When we are in a place where we are truly being who God made us to be, when we are living out of the unique calling He has for us, our days may be full but we are not busy and stressed out because we are doing what He created us to do.

Sounds simple doesn’t it!  But why do we struggle with it so much?  Why do we find it hard at times to work out who God has made us to be, to understand and claim our uniqueness and live from it? 

Sometimes the easier option seems to be adding even more things to the to-do list that we never should have put on there - they were not ours to pick up.

Jesus said, Matthew 11: 28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

He wants to remove the excess that we shouldn’t be carrying, and show us how to find rest. When we are walking in His plan for us, the yoke and burden of our responsibility should have an easiness and lightness. We may have things to get done, but we can thrive and feel alive with a sense of purpose.

Our society is very good at putting labels on us and placing us into boxes that we are expected to aspire and live up to.  We teach young people to be well rounded and good at lots of things, to get to an acceptable level in everything rather than focus on what is right/unique about the way God them and what they are created to do.  So when they get to adulthood we see adults running about, busy, trying to be good at everything, and living with an overarching feeling of weariness. 

Maybe God really only wants you to have one thing on your plate and be excellent at that.  Maybe that is your calling. 

 

Are you feeling busy?  Do you have a smorgasbord on your plate rather than a la carte? 

Here are a few things that have worked, and continue to work in my life:

1. Intimacy with your Creator.  Spending time with your Father God keeps you clear and in perspective.  He is the only one who knows you better than you know yourself, and loves you unconditionally and perfectly, only wanting the best for your life. 

2. Mentoring – allow someone to challenge you and ask you questions like, “Why is this on your plate?”  or, “Are you meant to be holding on to that?”.  This could be in a formal setting with a mentor/supervisor, or by being part of a community committed to one another and willing to intentionally invest in the care and development of each another. 

3. Get to know yourself – you are created perfectly for the plan and purpose God has for your life – there is no mistake in the way you are wired.      

I have just trained as a Strengths Finder Coach.  This is an assessment tool that explores your unique personality and what is right about you.  In journeying with people using this tool, I get to see God unlock areas in their lives as they gain understanding into their natural thoughts, feelings and behaviours and how they interact with others.  They discover that God has wired them in a unique way for their unique purpose and that living in that brings them the greatest joy and fulfillment. 

So, if you find your answer to, "Are you having a busy day?" is often, "yes, crazy busy!", and you're feeling stressed out; then maybe take some time to be with your Father, talk with a trusted friend/mentor, or lay down some things that are not yours to carry. 

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” ― Catherine of Siena

Easter = Easter Bunny and Chocolate Eggs

Earlier this week I was at the supermarket for a few bits and was using the self scanning checkout.  As I was waiting for my receipt a middle aged couple came up behind me to use it next.   She was buying a packet of marshmallow Easter eggs.  She commented to the person with her, "We eat them any time, not just on Easter weekend, so then it's not all about God.”  He nodded and commented in agreement.  This brought up a range of emotions in me and has continued to ring in my mind in the days follow.  Firstly, I felt sadness.  This couple knows that Easter is "about God" and openly said so, and yet still chose not to believe for themselves. 

Luke 8:10. He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'  

They have heard but do not understand.    I must admit, I felt like turning to them and saying, 'Why do you eat them at all and celebrate something you don't believe in? - leave the Easter eggs for me! At least I believe in what I am celebrating!”   Then I felt a glimmer of hope.  At least they acknowledged that there is a God and that Easter is to do with Him!   I wonder how many others think the same as these people.  I am sure there are many that don't even get that far. Easter is just a wonderful long weekend, the beginning of the school holidays, a chance to get together with friends and family – all these things a great too of course.  And what about the next generation, do the children know what Easter is really about?

A small survey done in 2014 in UK by the Bible Society targeting 804 children, found that young people aged 8 to 15 have little understanding of the true meaning of Easter.  More than one in three children didn’t know why we celebrate Good Friday, while for Easter Sunday it was one in four.  But perhaps more shockingly, the survey results reveal that more than a third of children believe the fable of the ‘Hare and the Tortoise’ features in the Bible. Close to a quarter of children who took part also think that the goose that lays golden eggs is also a story told in the Bible.    Other surveys done came up with similar information with many citing children believing Easter was Easter Bunny’s birthday so that’s why we search for the eggs that he leaves for us!!  Our kids are so confused!  Why do we tell these lies to our kids?  I am all in for fun and surprises, but why tell them lies and make it so complicated for them. 

Mark 10:14 – “Let the little children come to me because such is the kingdom of heaven.”  

The gospel is simple so that even the smallest child can understand and believe, why have we confused them?  Let's tell them the truth; it’s easier to believe than an Easter bunny leaving eggs!

Do we as the church, the people of God, celebrate and remember Easter well?  I wonder if some of us have moved with society too much and have forgotten the significance of The Holy Week and its crucial importance to our faith.  The next generation are confused or don’t even think about it because their parents don’t really know either.  I think we are two, and in many cases three generations removed from any knowledge or belief in the true meaning.  Have we, The Church, not told the story enough?  At Christmas we have nativity plays that retell the story of Jesus birth and Christmas carols are still played in shops and events that share the story but there isn't really an Easter equivalent.  Do we need to tell the story of Easter more?  Do you think we could reinstate the cross as the symbol of Easter instead of eggs and tell of a Saviour who brings life, in place of a fluffy bunny who brings chocolate!

This Easter, here are a couple of simple ideas (there are hundreds!) you could do at home to help your family and friends celebrate the true meaning of Easter, not just at church for one hour, but over the weekend as a family and a community. 

Egg Hunting: Use the eggs to tell the story of God's love and forgiveness.  Before you hide the eggs or put them in baskets, encircle each one with a coloured strip of paper that tells one small part of the Easter story. When the eggs have been found, the children unscramble the story and put it in the right order.  If you like to decorate eggs with dye, also write one attribute of Jesus on each egg. You can do this by writing on the egg with a crayon before you put it in the dye. Send kids on a hunt for the eggs that have Jesus' attributes written on them. Instead of just discovering eggs, they will be discovering the wonderful things that make Jesus so special.  You could tell the story of salvation by dyeing the eggs certain colours or using different foil covered chocolate eggs. Black = sin, red = Jesus blood, white = washed/pure, green=growing in God, gold= heaven.

I am all in for chocolate and look forward to eating some over Easter, but let’s claim it back off the Bunny and make it all about the sweetness of Jesus rather than the lollies!

Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”

NEW YEAR

It’s hard to believe we’re in 2015! According to the movie "Back to The Future" we should all be driving flying cars, riding hover boards, answering our phone via our glasses, be wearing self drying clothes and self lacing shoes! Some of the technology was not far off; some was way off! But nevertheless here we are.

We have just returned from a wonderful family summer holiday at Mount Maunganui beach, NZ. It was stunning weather every day and rained over night once in two weeks!

One morning I was up early and went to the beach for a walk and chat with God. It was quite early so I was not expecting to see too many people there. I was surprised to see how many people were already up and about, walking their dogs, running and enjoying the cool of the morning. By far the largest group there were the surfers - apparently the weather forecast had told them that the waves were going to be good that morning. I sat overlooking the sea and watched them and my eye fell on one in particular. He was obviously with a friend who had arrived earlier and was now out passed the breaking waves and I could now see that they were paddle-boarders. His friend was standing up on his board and was waiting for him.

I continued to watch as the man began walking out through the waves to meet his friend, pushing his paddleboard in front of him with one hand, and holding the paddle in the other. He got past the first wave, then the second, but for several minutes he kept getting knocked back. It was hard to watch, and I was feeling very sorry for him. Each time he looked like he was going to make it, a big wave would come and knock him right back to the start. He looked like he was struggling to manage the paddle and the board. I was getting frustrated for him! Was he every going to make it? He tried putting his paddle on the board, but still he kept getting knocked back and having to start over. Eventually he lay on the board with his paddle tucked under one arm and hand paddled himself passed the waves and out to his waiting friend. I felt like cheering! He and his friend then both stood up on their boards and paddled off into the distance.

Isn't life a bit like that?! We head out and seem to be going along fine but then a big wave comes and knocks us back. We have times in our journey when it feels like we are taking 2 steps forward and then getting knocked back 1 step or more! Sometimes it seems like we have been stripped of everything and are right back at the beginning. It's at these times that we have a choice to make. Do we give up and get out of the water, or do we turn around, face the waves straight on and try again?

The man was carrying his paddle in his hand. It was going to be useful to him once he got out passed the waves, but at the moment it was a burden.

What is in your hand?

Moses was embarking on a great and exciting journey, but he doubted himself. He was facing obstacles, “What if they don't believe me?", "I'm not good enough", "I don't have the skills." God asked Moses this same question - Exodus 4:18 "What is in your hand?" In Moses hand was his staff, it was his tool for his trade as a shepherd. He was familiar with it, and skilled at using it. God told him to throw it down and then added His power and performed a great sign that would later be used to release his people from slavery! The paddle-boarder did much better when he laid his paddle on the board and let the board carry it. We do so much better when we lay down what is in our hands and let Jesus have it. He can then take it and inject His power into it. This produces miracles! What do you need to lay down at the start of this year? Your plans and dream, your finances, your talents and skills, your thoughts and ideas? God will use all these, they are in your hand for a reason. You will need them, but they will be so much better with God's power added. So let them go, lay them down and see what God will do with them.

But the paddle-boarder made the most progress not when he laid his paddle on the board, but when he laid his whole body on the board! When he was lying on the board, paddle tucked under his arm, he seemed to easily cruise over the waves to his friend. We will see God do so much this year, if we surrender ourselves totally. Not only our roles, tasks and ministries, but our whole selves!

So as I embark on the journey into 2015 and all that it will hold, I choose firstly to stay in the water. Then I will turn and face the waves, lay my "paddle" and my whole self on Jesus in surrender, and totally trust and depend on his miracle working power.

Real Rachel?

I was chatting to a good friend about the things she is getting sorted out as she plans for their family holiday over Dec/Jan. They are a family with 2 teenagers and are going away on a special overseas trip for 40 days, tied in with her husband’s sabbatical. This is not their usual camping trip, and will be a wonderful experience for them. She was telling me about her plans to walk through the Bible with her family, taking it in 40 segments for each of the days of the holiday and she explained some other amazing activities she had created for them to experience, all based around their personal faith formation. I was amazed at how intentional she was about this. For most of us, just getting everyone out the door on a holiday is more than enough to plan, let alone all these other things too!

I love being inspired by my friends, but today I found myself comparing myself to her and felt a bit down.

Added to this, over the past few weeks, as I have been scrolling down my Facebook news feed, I have seen many of my friends posting about what they had been doing for a good friend of ours who is going through cancer treatment. They have been so incredible and SO creative with the ways they have been loving her! Again I found myself comparing my lack of creativity and time spent with this dear friend and the seemingly incredible efforts that others were going to for her.

Why do we do this to ourselves? I assume I am not the only one!

The internet and social media can be wonderful tools, but also VERY dangerous ones. We see a false image of reality and too much information that is distorting our view of reality. We see our “friends” posting, “here I am on holiday!” or “look where my husband took me for dinner!” We don’t usually see posts like, “here is the argument we had last night” or “ here’s me crying myself to sleep because my teenage has walked away from me” or “ I don’t know where to turn next!”

We are seeing glimpses of the life of “friends” but this is NOT the REAL thing. We may feel like we are journeying through life with them because we get updated regularly, but are we really? This is not what it means to DO LIFE TOGETHER. I wonder how many of us are feeling undue stress, anxiety and low self-esteem as we compare our lives to others forgetting that what we see is NOT the real life. It is only a glimpse at the good bits. To really know we have to journey with each other. To journey means REALLY being there. Being there when it is good AND when it’s bad. Celebrating with each other, but also crying with each other.

I wonder too what this exposure to the internet and social media is doing to our young people. And even to our children who have access to the internet and get to see so much of what is going on in the world. While I agree of course that children and young people need to have knowledge of current events, but are they exposed to too much? And is it even realistic or is it tainted with some media exaggeration? Are they carrying a burden that is not theirs to carry at such an early age? Are they comparing their life with the glimpses they see of others on a newsfeed or wall and feeling like their life is so boring and worthless?

What is real? Who is the real Rachel? This is a question I have been finding I have been asking myself a lot lately. Is what people see from the outside true to the real Rachel living on the inside? Or am I wearing a mask and living in a mascarade? Am I living the life God has planned for Rachel or one that I think people want me to live? Or have I created a life of comparison, based on my perception of the life of others?

Be who you are!

1 Samuel 16:7 “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

O God, I pray that when you look inside me, that you find a clean and pure heart. (Ps 51: 10-12) “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

We are all created differently, with a unique purpose to fulfil. It is absurd to compare ourselves with others.

(Ephesians 2:10) “ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Be who God made YOU to be! For He made you “fearfully and wonderfully!”

(Psalm 139:14)