Does Everything Depend on You?

When I was in college I didn’t appreciate the poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams. When I first read it in Literature class I thought, This is famous poetry? I could have written that! But as the years go by, the first line of the poem has come to mind repeatedly.* Suddenly, I can relate to the red wheelbarrow and feel compassion for its plight (if indeed a wheelbarrow can have a plight).
 

When I became a mommy, I began to understand what it means to bear the weight of responsibility. It wasn’t just me, or even me and my husband anymore; I had little human beings dependent on me—for sustenance, comfort, love—to learn about God and the meaning of life. I remembered the little red wheelbarrow.

Now that my kids are grown and I have grandchildren, it seems like the responsibilities have multiplied. Why is it, I ask myself, that I feel like so much depends on me?  As if things won’t get done if I don’t do them (or they won’t get done right). I worry about other people and take on their stuff as if it was my own to bear. I’ve learned this is codependent behavior. Who knew that the little red wheelbarrow was an enabler? 

One of my favorite texts, that always makes me sigh with longing, is 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.”

This is Jesus talking, and I want to believe Him, because He doesn’t lie. I trust Him wholeheartedly. So why is it I still feel weary and burdened? I think the secret’s in the yoke. Not like the yoke’s on you, but the wooden harness the animals of Jesus’ day wore.  It was always shared by two—one stronger, lead animal, and the lesser one to walk beside. 

If I’m in a yoke with Jesus, He’s definitely the stronger individual. If I walk beside Him at His pace and do what He has for me to do, my burdens will be easy. He’ll be doing the bulk of the work! However, it’s when I strain to go at a different pace, or in a different direction, or try to carry more weight than He intends for me—this is when I become weary and burdened. 

I read another verse recently that seems to bring in further understanding. I was worried and burdened, yet trying not to take on a load that is not mine to bear. God spoke to me through Zephaniah 3:16-17, “Do not fear…do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.” I don’t have to bear the weight of this situation, but that doesn’t mean I just let my hands hang down in defeat. There is still much I can do.

My work is to lift my hands in prayer and give this situation to the God who saves.

If you feel like the little, red wheelbarrow left out in the rain, envious of the chickens nearby who don’t seem to have a care in the world, there’s hope. That’s not the life God intends for us.

Everything does not depend on us! Isn’t that a relief? Our God is big enough to handle our load, as well as everything and everyone else that concerns us. Our job is to get in the yoke and keep in step. We can talk to Him about everything and leave it with Him. I hope that encourages you like it does me. I just breathed a sigh of relief.  

*For the full text of “The Red Wheelbarrow” click on this link: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/red-wheelbarrow

I Miss You

“I went in and sat down at the door. The sermon was on the prodigal son, but there is only one word I remember: ‘You are not forgotten or cast off,’ the preacher said. ‘You are missed.’” (Flora Campbell quoted in Prodigals and Those Who Love Them by Ruth Bell Graham).
 

This quote has comforted me so many times as I have prayed for my own beloved prodigals, many of them far beyond my reach. Today, it reminds me what I need to communicate to those who have wandered away from God—whether to a far-off country, or just beyond the fringes of the faith community. What they need to hear from me is not condemnation, words of shame or judgment, or I told you so’s. What they need to hear is how much I miss them. How much their heavenly Father misses them and longs for their return.

Of course sin is wrong. Of course there will be consequences. Restitution must be paid, and trust earned, and healing will take time. They know that. And there will be a time to communicate those things, even as I seek God’s help to forgive them for the harm done.

But initially, what they need to hear is, “I miss you. I miss the fellowship we used to share. I miss hearing your laughter. I miss knowing what’s going on in your life and sharing my life with you. I miss your sense of humor and the special place you fill that no one else can. I miss discussing the scriptures and comparing what God is saying to us through it.” 

Isn’t that what brought the prodigal son back home in Jesus’ parable of Luke 15? It was the knowledge that he was missing out on good stuff going on at Dad's. It was the shining hope, that despite everything he had done, his father might still take him back. 

 

As you pray for the prodigals you know—those who have relapsed into destructive habits and beliefs, who have been lured into unhealthy relationships, who have disregarded your warnings and advice, who have idolized people or things instead of God, who have become discouraged or disillusioned with God’s people, and even God himself. Pray for opportunities to speak these words: I miss you. You are valuable. You haven’t been forgotten. Please come back.

 

And if you are a prodigal, wondering if anyone has even noticed you're gone, let me reassure you, you are missed. God sees you there in your pain and confusion and need, and He is calling you back. He misses the fellowship He once had with you. And He is calling people to reach out to you daily—in prayer, with a smile, with a word of comfort or encouragement they didn’t even know you needed. But He did and He’s speaking to you through them. 

You are missed.

What to Keep for the New Year

Many of us will gather tonight with friends and family to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new. Some of you say, “Good riddance! I’m glad to see 2015 go.” In some ways I agree, 2015 had some rough spots, but let’s not be too hasty and count it all as loss. 
 

I fear too often, we buy into the world’s estimation that ‘old’ means obsolete, used up, worn out, and useless—like those who roll their eyes if you don’t have the latest I-phone, or want to sing a song that’s been out for more than two years. Just as the velveteen rabbit discovered, some things actually increase in value as they age.*

Don’t most children have a favorite ‘blankie’ or stuffed animal they sleep with that comforts them better than a new one could? Antiques are appraised higher than new furniture. Artwork, coins, documents written by our founding fathers, war relics, and signed first editions also gain value with age. And who could put a price on fond childhood memories, a lifelong marriage partner, or old friends?

On the other hand, there are a lot of things that aren’t worth hanging onto: used tea bags and coffee filters, empty toothpaste tubes, outdated clothes that don’t fit, and spices five years past their expiration date (not to mention the secret things growing in the refrigerator). Plus, if we start looking inside ourselves, we might find a bit of housecleaning to be done there as well. Bad habits, attitudes, grudges, lingering self-pity, and worn out excuses all need to be tossed.

As you take stock of 2015 and ring in 2016, I’d like you to consider these four questions.

1.      What old things am I thankful for from last year? (people, things, growth opportunities)

2.      What do I need to get rid of from the past? (habits, unhealthy relationships, rebellion)

3.      What new things would God have me pursue this year? (friendships, serving others, self-control)

4.      What new things am I better off without? (stuff, time wasters, impediments)

The following verses might help you answer:

“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you” (Deut. 32:7).

“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good” (Psa. 25:5-7).

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isa. 43:18-19).

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

And for those of you who would like a little New Year’s Bible study, here are just a few things God offers for the year to come with eternal value:

New

Song—Psa. 40:1-3

Heart and Spirit—Eze. 11:19

Mercy—Lam 3:22-23

Love—Jn. 13:34-35

You—2 Cor. 5:17

Attitude—Ephesians 4:22-24

Hope—1 Pet. 1:3-4

Old

Productivity—Psa. 92:12-15

Comfort—Psa. 119:52

Boundaries—Prov. 22:28

Faithfulness—Isa. 64:4

Sustenance—Isa. 46:3-4

Restored—Isa. 58:11-12

Paths—Jer. 6:16

Wisdom—Mat. 13:47-52

Faith—Heb. 11:1-2

Happy New Year to you all! May God bless you richly in body, soul, and spirit.

*The Velveteen Rabbit, written by Margery Williams

The Lyrics of Christmas

No matter how many years you’ve been singing Christmas carols, the words still ring with power. These classics address the elemental need of our hearts, giving us hope in a world desperate for glad tidings.

When Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the words of, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” he was still grieving his wife’s tragic death less than two years earlier. His oldest son, of six children, was nearly paralyzed in the Civil War. On Christmas day, 1863, as cannons boomed in the distance, he wrote about mankind’s failure to live at peace, and reaffirmed his faith in the only Source of peace.


Despite his heartache and disappointment, Longfellow lifts our eyes to heaven: “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail with peace on earth goodwill to men.” 


Christmas carols declare the Good News we need to hear. Here are ten of my favorite phrases this year. 


Peace

“O come, Desire of nations…fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.” ~ O Come, O Come, Emanuel
Through flood, famine, economic disaster, abandonment, and all seasons of life, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. 



A Center of Quiet

“Heavenly music floats over all the weary world…over its babble sounds the blessed angels sing.” It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 

Christmastime can get crazy. It may feel noisy inside your own head. Be still and listen for a song in the night. Jesus came to bring us inner peace. 



Connecting With God

“Radiant beams from Thy holy face…Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.” ~ Silent Night

Do you ever wish you could have been a shepherd who saw the face of the newborn King? Or a wise man who traveled far to meet Him? I’ve envied the disciples, and those who felt His touch of healing. Christmas is the radiance of Christ. 



Worship

“Let earth receive her King.” ~ Joy to the World

Those who truly want to know God, come to the stable and bow in worship. 



Love

“The silent Word is pleading.” ~ What Child Is This?

Jesus is called the Word of God in the gospel of John. And during His ministry, Jesus often used the word “come.” A word of invitation—to accept the love of the Father and walk with Him. 



Value

“Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope—the weary world rejoices!” ~ O Holy Night 

We all want to feel like we matter to someone. Sin cripples us with guilt and regret. Jesus’ message is, no matter what we’ve done, He came for us. 



Rebirth

“Cast out our sin, and enter in; be born in us today.” ~ O Little Town of Bethlehem

Christmas gives us hope for a new start, a spiritual rebirth. We can be clean and new. 



Hope for Eternal Life

“Now ye need not fear the grave: Peace! Peace! Jesus Christ was born to save.” ~ Good Christian Men, Rejoice

With heaven in view, we don’t have to be afraid of dying; life can be full and rich. 



Rest

“Tidings of comfort and joy!” ~ God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

The best news ever! 



New Life

“Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings.” ~ Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

The message lives on—in Him, in us, ringing out into a needy world. 



Is God speaking to you through Christmas music this year? What are your favorite phrases?



All lyrics taken from Sing to the Lord hymnal, Lillenas Publishing Co., © 1993.