Stepping Up

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Clog spotWhen I lived alone in my cottage, I used to put my clogs on the fireplace hearth when I wasn’t using them. The opposite of that simple picture is the one below, a line-up belonging to Hans, Katy, and their 3 young children.

 

The Line-up

Today as I studied the assortment of boots, shoes, and slippers next to my front door, my mind rushed to the word “commitment.” Having a family is a massive one, and footwear is only a small part of it. For Katy and Hans, there will soon be a pair of baby booties at the end of that long line, too, and an increased commitment to go along with it.

Having children requires making an ongoing commitment that refuses to quit. But isn’t that true with most of life’s worthwhile undertakings? To make them work, we can’t allow ourselves to give up or walk away. On this New Year’s Day, I’ve been asking myself what worthwhile commitments God wants me to make in 2013.

Scripture tells us to carefully count the cost of taking on new responsibilities, and to do so for an important reason: so that we’ll be able to do what we said we’d do. Saying yes to something without following through is to be avoided.

Jesus is our example in this, demonstrating the ultimate in follow-through. He volunteered to do the most difficult job that existed, giving his sinless life for our sins. Sticking with that commitment turned out to be excruciating for him, but he did it anyway.

My response to his example should be to accept whatever assignment he asks me to do in 2013, first counting the cost, then making plans to pay it. He won’t ask me to do what I can’t, nor will he assign me something that will swamp me. If I find that happening, the commitment I’ve taken on won’t have been from him.

But how will I be able to tell if a commitment I’m asked to make is from God or some other source? Jesus is our example in that, too. He only did what God asked him to do and nothing else, a pro at discerning what that was. So if we ask him to help us sort through our own commitment-confusion, he will.

As 2013 begins and we decide how we’re going to spend our time (whether it involves a long line of family shoes or a single pair of clogs) we should run it all past the Lord first, to get his take on it. And then once we commit, we should take it all the way…. just like he does.

The Lord says, “Even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, my love won’t walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.” (Isaiah 54:10, The Message)

Looking Back?

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A quiet evening home alone on New Year’s Eve? Perfect.

A lovely light

As my cottage emptied out tonight and no one but the small fry remained (asleep), I lit some candles and sat by the light of the Christmas tree along with a beautiful cd of orchestra and choir music. It seemed like a good idea to let God choose my thoughts as 2012 ticked toward its end.

Each year on December 31st it seems logical to look back at the year’s low- and high-lights, searching for God’s blessing. So that’s how I assumed he would lead my thoughts. Or maybe he’d remind me of the biggest events of the year past: engagements, weddings, funerals, pregnancies, births, my book.

But as I sat meditating on the scriptural messages coming through the music, the Lord wasn’t leading me to look back through 2012 at all. Instead he wanted me to look at him:

2013

  • Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty, only Thou art holy!
  • What is man that you are mindful of him?
  • Lord, have mercy, for I have placed all my hopes in Thee.
  • There is none beside Thee, perfect in power, in love, and purity.
  • Jesus, Rock of Ages, I hide myself in Thee.
  • Great is Thy faithfulness O God my Father!
  • Morning by morning new mercies I see.
  • To God be the glory!

One after another the marvelous messages came, solidifying my resolve to use 2013 as focus-time toward Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Regardless of what’s happened in the “overfull” year just past, my every tomorrow will be anchored in the heavenlies rather than the “earthlies.” I want to attach myself to the Three-in-One, knowing they will do and be as they always have, bringing stability, peace, and hope.

This year I want to take God at his Word(s) to a greater extreme and trust him more radically than ever before so that by December of 2013, I’ll have seen him more clearly and understood him better than I currently do in December of 2012.

Charmed by Emerald

Tonight, when Emerald and Birgitta came home, I looked at this 10 week old baby and thought, “Last December we knew nothing about her, but here she is, along with the many changes she’s brought along with her. And Emerald is only one example of how different life can become between Decembers.

So, what’s coming in 2013? In a year, we’ll know.

In the mean time, Birgitta, Emerald, and I brought in the new year in conversation with God, knowing the only wise place to spend 2013 is in partnership with him. As tonight’s music so beautifully sang, “All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:16)

A Slippery Slope

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Hauling them upToday Hans, Louisa, and I took 3 little ones to our snow-covered beach where we careened down slippery dunes on plastic sleds amidst abundant giggles and squeals. Twice our sleds ended up in the creek, but wet legs and mittens never dampened spirits.

When we first arrived, the children couldn’t get enough of the “down” but resisted the arduous “ups”, pleading to be pulled to the top of the snowy dune while sitting in the sleds. We complied, wanting them to gain enough enthusiasm for the sledding experience to stay all afternoon.

Pull me up!After a few hauls up, however, we adults began insisting the children climb back up by themselves, to which there was unanimous objection. Ages 3, 2, and 2, they planted themselves at the bottom, refusing to come up without assistance. We stood at the top cajoling them, but still they refused, wanting us to make the experience easier on them.

I’ve done something quite similar when God has asked me to make a hard climb toward a difficult goal he’s set for me. Knowing it would be difficult and that he could make things easier caused me to plead for him to do so. But the hard truth was that without the pain, I’d have missed the gain.

Our little ones could have chosen to stand at the bottom of the hill indefinitely, but if they had, they’d have missed the delights of a fast ride down on a sled. Something similar happens when we mentally shake a fist at God and say, “You aren’t being fair! None of my friends have had to go through what you’re putting me through. I simply refuse to obey you.”

In that situation, God says the same thing Hans said to his children this afternoon. “Ok, have it your way. But you won’t get to slide down if you don’t come up first.”

All of us would rather live life on a continual down-hill, but that trajectory would put us on a slippery slope to self-indulgence. When we refuse to take any route other than the easy one, we become lethargic and spoiled. Worse yet, we miss the joy that becomes ours after we obey an all-wise God.

Ready to go!Even a young child can figure that out. Today after one of our little ones finally decided to trudge up the dune to get a ride down, the other two stumbled their way up, too. It was rewarding to see how well they adjusted to doing the difficult thing, if it meant they could have another joyful sled ride. Before long they were running up the dune to “go again.”

And it works the same with us. Once we’re willing to tackle God’s prescribed challenges, the excitement of sharing in the results he brings makes it much easier to trudge up next time, so we can “go again.”

“What I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.” (Deuteronomy 30:11)