Palm Sunday Reflections

It was not the traditional Palm Sunday in my world.  Although I attended church, there were no Palm branches waved by children as they paraded down the center aisle.  It is the memory I carried with me from my childhood into the years my own children were the ones carrying the branches.  I even recall having our grandchildren participating in the event at times.

Still, I take time at the end of the day to look back on the original Palm Sunday as recorded in God's Word:

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival

heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem.  

They took Palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

"Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Blessed is the King of Israel!"

-John 12:12-13 NIV

It must have been an exciting time for everyone. . .except, perhaps, for the one riding on the donkey.  He knew what was coming later in the week when the "Hosanna!" would turn to "Crucify Him!"

Somehow, seeing these events in retrospect gives me hope.  It speaks to me of the fact there will be times in our lives filled with excitement and celebration, followed by other days of uncertainty, pain and suffering.  

Ultimately we can find comfort in knowing the cycle of events will always end with the words of the angel saying, "He is not here!  He is Risen!" proving Jesus will reign victorious over any attempt of the enemy to defeat us.   

If I had a palm branch, I just might be tempted to wave it and shout out a "Hosanna!" or two!

The Prayer of Daniel

The table prayers of my grandchildren started out pretty simple, as yours likely did, too.  "Thank You, Jesus, for this food.  Amen."  This was the basic pattern until the granddaughter decided to add her own twist to the prayer adding the phrase, ". . .and bless it to our bodies."  It became the "go to" prayer for all four grandchildren until Daniel, the youngest, added an interesting ending.  After the "Amen" he threw in a "Hut! Hut!"

No one knew what prompted him to say it, [was it football season??] and naturally everyone at the table burst into laughter!  Being the "entertainer" personality of the family, the laughter was the applause he needed to continue adding "Hut! Hut! to all of his future prayers.  It still makes me smile every time I hear it!

In a way, the phrase added to his prayers makes sense when you look at it from a football analogy.  Typically, "Hut! Hut!" is a phrase used by the quarterback to bring his team members to attention and signals the start of their play.  It is a short and sharp command similar to the "Atten-HUT" used by the military and signals to the players it is time to battle it out on the field.

Translate this to Daniel's prayers and we see him handing things off to God, allowing Him to direct the future events tied to the prayer.  This is probably something many of us forget to do at the end of our prayers!

Today my dear friend Alice directed me to read the prayer of another Daniel, one who lived in Bible times.  You can find the prayer recorded in the book of Daniel, chapter 9 and verses 4-19.  In this prayer, Daniel is pleading for the Israelite people who are in captivity in Babylon.  His is a prayer of repentance followed by a cry for mercy.

Alice encouraged me to pray this prayer of Daniel, inserting the names of our current leaders, states, counties and cities.  When I did so, I was challenged, humbled and made very aware of the fact we face difficulties as a nation because of unrepentant hearts.  Worse yet, it uncovered the fact we are in the shape we are because we have not given attention to God's truths (see verses 11 and 13 of Daniel's prayer).  Without God's Word as our absolute "true north" everyone ends up doing whatever they feel is right in their own eyes, leading to a chaotic and jumbled atmosphere in which to live.

Take time to read Daniel's prayer from the Bible and use it as a model to pray for our nation.  Make it not only a corporate prayer, but also a personal one as you ask God to point out in your own life areas which do not align with His Word.  Here is a link to the passage in Bible Gateway's online Bible:  Daniel 9 - Bible Gateway  Although I prefer to read from my Bible which is actually a book I can hold, the beauty of reading from Bible Gateway online is you can easily change to a variety of translations, giving you a broader perspective of the passage.

Your assignment for the day?  Go ahead and pray the prayer of the Old Testament Daniel, and while you're at it, add a resounding "Hut! Hut!" at the end, leaving the outcome in God's hands!  This Daniel will be ever so pleased you've chosen to follow his example:

     

 

Sun Going Down

It was good to be home in Crosby over the weekend.  We were blessed with great weather allowing me the opportunity to take an evening stroll.  The beauty of the sunset around two iconic landmarks, (the Courthouse and water tower) led me to snap this picture:

It also brought to mind the lyrics to a song, one I discovered was made popular by Elton John in 1974, the year I graduated from high school.

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SUN GOING DOWN ON ME

I can't light no more of your darkness
All my pictures seem to fade to black and white
I'm growing tired and time stands still before me
Frozen here on the ladder of my life

Too late to save myself from falling
I took a chance and changed your way of life
But you misread my meaning when I met you
Closed the door and left me blinded by the light

Don't let the sun go down on me
Although I searched myself, it's always someone else I see
I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free
But losing everything is like the sun going down on me

I can't find the right romantic line
But see me once and see the way I feel
Don't discard me just because you think I mean you harm

But these cuts I have they need love to help them heal.

Don't let the sun go down on me

Although I searched myself, it's always someone else I see

I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free

But losing everything is like the sun going down on me

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As I listened once again to the song, I couldn't help but think of a classmate whose life ended tragically last week.  Although it seems the "sun went down" in his life, my faith assures me a sunset from our perspective only leads to a sunrise somewhere else.  

"Rest in peace, Larry, and allow the love of Jesus to be the healing balm you need!"

Angels Watching Over Me

We've gotten to know the road between Crosby and Bismarck quite well over the past two months.  For the most part, Bert does the driving, but today he was looking a little tired, so I volunteered to do the first leg of the journey.  It was a sunny day, with a few wispy clouds which reminded me of angel wings. As we left Crosby, I asked God to have His angels watch over us as we travelled.

For the most part, I am a loyal fan of the cruise control.  I like to set it for the speed limit and let the car keep track of how fast we move.  Today it worked out nicely for me, as the drive was smooth and uneventful.  Surprisingly, not once in the two hour drive to Minot did I have to pass someone, avoid wildlife, or slow down because someone jumped out of a side road in front of me.  There was actually very little traffic in our lane,  but lots on oncoming traffic in the other.

Meeting cars, pickups and trucks, it almost seemed as if I was the only one headed in the wrong direction!  But I knew better.  I knew the way to Bismarck.  Signs along the way assured me I was indeed going the right way, regardless of the fact most were choosing another direction.

At one point the whole scenario gave me a picture of our spiritual journey to heaven.  We know the way, provided long ago when Jesus died on the cross to make it possible.  God's Word is like the signs, showing the way and keeping us headed in the right direction.  At times, it does seem everyone else is going the opposite way, but faith assures us we have made the right choice.

At the midway point in Minot, a stop was made at our favorite gas station to pick up some refreshments and "take care of business".  Bert took over the driving and it was my turn to rest.  The highway provides a solid connection as we make our way toward Bismarck.  In my spiritual journey, I am blessed to have the Holy Spirit at my side, gently telling me, "This is the way, walk in it."  Fellow Christians also encourage me along the way, and prayer is the connection between where I am and my Heavenly Father as He waits for me at the end of my life travels.

Journey on, my friends!  Keep your eyes on the straight and narrow way!

A House Divided

For two months now, we have been living between two places. . .our home in Crosby and our condo in Bismarck.  This is our second session of being involved with the North Dakota State Legislature, and it has been an exciting time, but also challenging.  Especially the living in two different places part.  Not exactly a "house divided", but if you think of the time invested in both places, we do have to "divide" our time between two "houses".

Today, as I was going through the refrigerator in Crosby, I realized one of the biggest challenges is keeping the proper food at each place.  As I searched through the shelves and drawers I found a number of moldy items which had to be thrown.  The same thing has happened several times in my Bismarck kitchen.  It doesn't pay to stock up on things when you aren't going to be there 100% of the time to eat them.

My thoughts turned to the fact we have two options as to who we are going to serve in this life. . .God or satan.  Satan's tactics are sneaky and often he will attempt to lure you with things which seem good, but ultimately are taking your eyes off of God.  Our two places of residence are four hours apart, so we always have an ample amount of time to decide which place will be receiving our attention.  Our decision to stay focused on God, on the other hand, is one we have to be aware of every minute of the day so satan doesn't distract us from what it is God wants to accomplish in and through us.

Jesus was once accused of being "out of His mind" by the teachers of the law.  They felt he was possessed by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, and this was how He was able to drive out demons.  This didn't make a bit of sense, and Jesus seized the opportunity to teach about "a house divided":

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

And if satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand.

His end is come.

-Mark 3:24-26

These verses are often quoted in connection with the atmosphere of our country, and lately the divisiveness has seemed to be ever increasing.  At first glance, the division might seem to be between Democrats and Republicans , the left against the right or even one race of people against another.  But there is a verse which reminds us the real battle isn't taking place on an earthly level.  The New Living Translation puts it this way:

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies,

but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world,

against mighty powers in this dark world, and

against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

-Ephesians 6:12

Ultimately, the decision comes down to who you are willing to align your life with.  Will you choose God's way and keep your eyes on Him, or will you allow the cohorts of the devil to divert your attention another direction?  No matter who you align yourself with, the true litmus test comes when you ask the question, "Does what I'm doing and do the decisions I am making line up with the truth of God's Word?  Anything else will result in a division which will not stand the test of time.  

The words of a hymn come to mind as a challenge:

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There's light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

  







It's a Puzzle!

While adjusting to our new environment in Bismarck, one of the tools used during the time of transition was the assembling of a puzzle.  For me, it was therapeutic to focus my brain on the task of putting the pieces together when everything else in my life was somewhat of a jumble.  Over the course of the first week the picture gradually came together.


                          

 

                          

 

 

 

 

            

There is something so satisfying about completing a puzzle.  What starts as a pile of random pieces, slowly develops into a picture.  The process usually starts with finding the edge pieces.  Then, depending on the picture, you can focus on particular areas based on color.  Not all at once, but methodically over time the final product is revealed. 

For many years, while I was working, I took time on the weekends to write "Saturday Seeking" devotionals to send to family and friends.  I would look back on my week and seek to find something God was teaching me through my everyday experiences.  Even now, four years into retirement, I find myself looking for these "God Lessons" in the things I occupy my time with, and so it was the lessons in a puzzle started forming in my head.

When we are born, we find ourselves deposited on earth in the neat and tidy form of a baby.  This is what I would equate to the beginning pile of puzzle pieces.  Psalm 139 tells me "all the days planned for me were written in God's Book before one of them came to be".  And so it is, our "life story" has a unique picture in God's eyes, waiting to be assembled as the years go by.

The process of sorting out the edge pieces reminds me of verses in Acts 17:26-28.  These verses reveal God has a special time set for my life, and even the "bounds of habitation" (according to the King James Version) have been established.  Yes, the picture of my life has certain borders.  So far, my life has spanned 60 years and most of my bounds of habitation have been centered in North Dakota.

Each day of my life is like one of the puzzle pieces, waiting to find its proper place in the picture created over the course of my lifetime.  There are times, like this week-end, I try to make a "piece" fit which God has determined is not right according to His plan.  Since we have a few days off from the Legislature this week, we had talked about driving to South Dakota for a few days, and then stopping to pick up the grandkids, bringing them back to Crosby for an overnighter.  What happened instead was an attack by a "stomach bug" which left my husband in no shape for travel or grandkids.  I guess this is why James 4:13-15 is included in the Bible!

Come now, you who say,

“Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city,

spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”

You do not even know what will happen tomorrow!

What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while, and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.

It was disappointing to experience the change in plans, but who knows what God's purpose was in changing them.  Perhaps He saved us from experiencing a tragic car accident, or simply knew this was not a good time for the grandkids to be away from their parents.  When things don't go as planned, I have learned to trust my Heavenly Father knows best.

When will the picture of my life be complete?  Only God knows.  Until then, I will continue to allow Him to fill in the pieces and do my best to leave behind a picture He would be proud to display! 



Moose on the Loose!

Over the past several weeks we have had some interesting visitors in my hometown of Crosby, North Dakota.  The first sightings were near the edge of town, but it seems they are getting bolder.  They showed up in the park on Main Street and have been spotted in several people's yards.  Today I received word from a friend they had been visiting our house.  What exactly are "they"?  A pair of moose!

It seems their favorite thing to do is munch on the trees. . .and capture people's attention!  I've been told you should be cautious around moose, as they can become hostile and charge if caught off guard, so my biggest concern is for the onlookers safety.  And, of course, for the safety of the moose as they navigate the streets and cross paths with unsuspecting motorists.

As I pondered why these "creatures of the wild" are suddenly wandering the streets of our community, a certain passage in Isaiah came to mind:

The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,

Their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

-Isaiah 11:6-7

If you read this passage in context, it is talking about a time when Jesus returns to rule the earth.  He brings with Him a new atmosphere of holiness which takes over and fills the earth with the knowledge of the Lord.  These verses don't specifically mention moose, but part of me wonders if we are approaching a time when God's peace will descend in a way which affects even the animals. Perhaps then even the human race could learn a lesson or two from the animals and get along!