Pondering the Mystery of it All

Who was she?  Who was this "highly favored one," the "blessed among women," woman?  What was she, this Mother of God? (Luke 1:28)

She was discussed at length for a woman of her ancient day yet, we know precious little of the one who carried the Precious Little.

We know that she was ~
       "highly favored, that the Lord was with her, that she had found favor with God, that the Spirit would come upon her and the Highest would over shadow her."  (Luke 1:28-35)

She lived in the Shadow of His great love, a mother loving a Babe, swaddling a Savior, nurturing the Nurturer.  She lived overshadowed, in His great wings.  She would make late night flights to protect the Protector, to save the Savior.

What great and awesome things, what mysterious Love had been born to this favored one.

But, what of her?  Who was she?

She was willing ~ "Lord, let it be unto me . . . " (Luke 1:38)

Willing ~ yes, certainly.  Yet, we read of another truth of this mother ~ she quietly pondered, pondered all these awesome things.

Three times over our beloved doctor tells the tale of a quiet mother who simply said, "Lord, let it be unto me . . . " and then she quietly pondered.

Luke 1:29 ~ ". . . she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was."

Luke 2:19 ~ "But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."

Luke 2:51 ~ ". . . His mother kept all these things in her heart."

The Wonder of her womb ~ the Creator of the cosmos chambered inside ~ and yet all this Mystery she allowed to quietly abide.

She surely knew her ancient texts, the Psalm of David ~ and her soul silently waited for God (Psalm 62:1).  And Isaiah tells her again ~ he reminds this young woman who is carrying her God to wait upon her God.

And the wonder of this woman ~ that she quietly ponders the Wonder of us all.

She was highly favored and the Lord was with her, could it be because Savior Babe craved the one who would quietly abide?  So, He carved a crater to carry the Creator of the cosmos in the womb of the woman who would quietly wonder at the splendor of it all.

Could it be He craves the same in you?  in me?

A quiet place with a quiet people who quietly wait to hear the voice of the Lord.

So, He carves a crater in the one who quietly ponders
   and He lives inside those who quietly abide.

In a world wild with noise I hear the good doctor tell me three times over
   of this ancient Mother,
who silently held the Wonder of us all
   and quietly pondered her magnificent call  . . .  and she found favor with God.

Could it be that if we would slow to a still silence that Creator God would come again gentle as a Babe, a swaddled Babe lying in a manager?

Yet, we live loud and ponder a pitiful little, we run fast and our mouths run faster.  We ask why do we not hear Him?  Why do we not see Him?

But, we have forgotten that He came quiet, He came small, He came wrapped in dirty linens, lying in the manger for there was no room in the inn.

He did not seek the powerful, nor the rich, He had no concern for her position among her people, He only asked that she wait quietly upon Him, and she did, to meditate day and night upon the Word, and she did and she is called, "blessed among women."  This too she quietly pondered.

In an age that despises the still and the silent we would be well served to remember our ancient mother ~ the wonder of the woman who quietly held the Universe in her womb.

We might be tempted to say that if we lived as Mary, with Savior of all living inside then we too would slow and steadily ponder the Wonder of it all.  We would hide the Mystery in our heart and quietly watch the Master take master of it all and yet, we have forgotten the great Truth ~ to those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ ~  "the Kingdom of God is within . . . "  (Luke 17:21)

The same good doctor who tells the tale of young mother and Savior Babe has told the telling tale of this mother ~ that the kingdom of God is within, within me.

Skilled surgeon has peered inside and with his spiritual eyes he tells a truth ~
    that will turn the tide,
the Savior God dwells inside,
   those who quietly abide.

So, see we have no excuse ~ He asked us to wait the same as virgin mother and to those who obey, to those who quietly ponder the Majestic Wonder He promises the favor eternity.

He quietly asks,
     "What will it be,
Facebook or Me?
     Selfish ambition that pushes a hectic pace,
or quietly abiding while you run MY race?
    It is a simple question,
that demands the deepest of reflection ~
    What will it be,
noise of self or a God-filled eternity?

She considered . . .
   She quietly pondered . . .
      She hid them in her heart . . .

The Great Mystery of us all certainly deserves that . . . and she found favor with her God.

An Answer

We hustled through the blur of lights, our cargo van bustling through a maze of Houston traffic.  We were laden heavy that night, not just with 11 weary bodies but laden with broken hearts, shattered childhoods and far more problems then we had solutions.  I wondered how we would ever safely arrive anywhere with 9 mended hearts and 9 awakened spirits; what could possibly carry all those broken pieces.  There is no vehicle capable nor Mama equipped to do the unimaginable.  The laundry list of things broken that needed to be fixed ran constantly through my mind, spinning and churning far faster then I could control ~ sometimes I want to drop off this spinning wheel of broken hearts but then who will lead them to their Father?  I stayed on motion sick, dizzy and asked for peace ~ Peace to quiet the spinning, an Answer to dim the dizzy blurring lights.

I awoke the next morning with the lingering ache in my head and dizzy spin in my mind and He patiently beckoned me with a promise to slow the spin and to dull the ache, the ache in my head and the ache buried deep within my heart.

I poured a cup of hot tea and I opened my Bible (a slight sliver of heaven to bless my day) and He whispered Peace to a spinning Mama and I felt the whirl of the hurt and the rush of the needs slow and finally cease altogether.

Matthew 21:22 ~ "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

He simply said, "List them, believe for them and wait expectantly and joyfully to receive them."

List ~ Believe ~ Receive

All the broken hearts, all the sin and painful relationships, lost innocence and sickness, ALL the problems we face in one day?  Let alone a week, a month, a year, a lifetime?  Just list them, believe for them and then receive them.  It simply cannot be that simple.

What about all the worrying and problem solving I do?  What about researching and reworking?  And then of course there is the complaining and the incessant talking I choose to do about them?  What about all of these entirely flesh driven and sinful responses I have to our problems?  What am I to do with those? 

"Crucify them."

God just cleared some serious time in my daily schedule.

In my newly found free time I cracked open my journal and began to write, to list in prayer, believing for the Answer from on high to literally show up ~ I guess the spiritual term would be His manifest presence ~ but I have to say in an entirely layman's terms way ~ the Answer just shows up!  He is standing on my doorstep with His bags in His hands and He is so excited to move in and start to fix all that the world and I have broken.  His manifest presence just walked through the front door and put his feet up on the coffee table (figure of speech since we do not own a coffee table, remember, we simplified) and He is busily picking up all the little pieces of our shattered hearts and fragmented family and building something new, a new creation.

I just simply needed to ask and then believe and then I joyfully receive.

It simply is that simple.

What are you worried about?  What is shattered in your life, in your spirit?  What has your world cracked in two?  What makes your world spin and your eyes grow dizzy with the blur and the whirl of the sickening spinning?

"And whatever things you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive."  Matthew 21:22

Yes, it really is that simple.

You do not need another book or blog, or seminar or retreat, you do not need another coffee break with friends to lament over the plight of your life ~ you simply need to bring your problems to the Answer, believe in the Answer and then wait like a giddy child, wide eyed and bubbling over with joy at the Answer that is to come.

At this point if I was a fabulous blogger I would insert a lovely template here for you to write all of your woes on flower trimmed paper but let's be straight ~ I am not a fabulous blogger, I have no idea how to create a template laid with lovely flowers and if the truth be told (which I love to do) you do not need a template ~ you just need to list them in whatever fashion the Holy Spirit leads you to.  You may scribble them in the margins of your Bible or in your journal or maybe on a coffee stained Starbucks napkin ~ where is irrelevant, all that He asks is that we ask Him, and believe in Him and then expect Him to answer.

No more worrying, no more problem solving, no more complaining or grumbling, no more wasted coffee hours lamenting over our miserable selves - just a single minded focus on the Answer and all the problems lose their dizzying effect and the dull aches in our heads give rise to grateful minds and the sinking pit in your stomach gives way to the belly laugh of those who know ~ those who know their Answer.

As the swirling circumstances of life seem to spin harder and faster our Answer seems to be simplifying the journey day by day.  The Answer runs sound and true through our days ~ He races to us in our spinning haze and simply answers so that we may enjoy the ride.

List them ~ Believe for them ~ and then Receive

An Exercise Really

An exercise to break a block or form a habit or maybe just to lay Beauty down on paper, to see the Artist paint a picture on the canvas of my life.

Just an exercise to write from the Word ~ it may be good for the soul.

Ephesians 2:10 ~  "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in the them."

I am His workmanship ~ He crafted me and then He grafted me for His good works.

I am a creature created in Christ Jesus for anyone who is in Christ is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17) ~ I am a new creature, crafted and grafted for only His good works.  A new creation created for a purpose ~ His purpose.

A creation is not created for the creature, it is created for the Creator.  My hand that grips the pen that scribbles lines that form words that work language is created to show forth His good works.  This body, His temple, was not crafted and then grafted into the Vine to satisfy this flesh but to glorify Christ.

These things, these good works, were prepared before - before the body was crafted and the spirit was graciously grafted - before time began, think of that!  Before the first second tick-tocked its way through the corridors of space and time, before time even knew to begin, He thought of me and He set out good things, good works for me to walk in.  Before time began, He thought of me and you . . .

That I should walk in them . . . I feel my foot fall settle into the steps He has laid down before me.  My feet slip small into the cosmic print of my Father, for He has walked before me and these good works ~ He planned them before the first tick of the great clock that counts out the very second till His return ~ well, I am to fall in step with them, with Him.

This weary Mama finds much rest, much peace in the steps He has laid before me, good works for His purpose ~ that, I can walk out.

Nine little souls traipse heavy behind me, they too are scrambling to lay foot into His mighty print on their lives.  I watch them and I pray, pray that the Lord will bless them and keep them (Numbers 6:24) and that their young feet hit His paths of righteousness every time (Psalm 23:3).


So, the exercise of Words hitting the paper is to the spirit as feet hitting the pavement in to the body ~ strength found in the flow, strength found in the continual telling of the Word.

Lord, let me not grow weary in doing good.

Lord, let me not grow weary of running a race of your good works that You graciously crafted and grafted me to do for Your great glory.

And so . . .

Yes, that is right, we race on in the mighty footfalls He laid before the first tick and until that glorious last tock.

The Painful Publish

Obedience . . .
      
         Simplicity . . .

Unknowing . . .

Just put pen to paper, why is that so hard?

My foot fell on warm earth ~ only on God's glorious globe do sheets of ice fall there when warm rays fall here ~ only God.

I do not know what I did to deserve that warmth on that fine day ~ I guess He just knew that these achy muscles and frigid fingers needed some of His Son.

Maybe it was the warmth of our rhythmic runs that I so desperately needed ~ rhythm of foot falls and pleading questions and gentle answers ~ the warmth of the patient answers from the patient Father.

Normally I attempt to write little of self, for trust me, you do not need any of this self.  But, tonight I must confess that this self owes Someone an apology.  So, I have repented privately but He deserves it publicly.

Let me explain . . .

    Several years ago He told me how live my life, He gave me the blueprint for all my days. He said ~

Be obedient (always).

      Live simply (in everything).

And walk unknowingly (without questioning).

So, I set about it and we were obedient and our family grew from 6 to 11 and I learned a new language and I learned a new way to love.  And I was obedient.

And to support obedience we would certainly need to simplify, and we did.  I purged closets, pantries, bank accounts, schedules, commitments, relationships, my thinking and my words.

Then we stepped out into the great unknown.  We certainly knew that we knew nothing, save the love of Jesus Christ.  I knew that, I still do.

Obedience to Christ.

      Simplicity for Christ.

Unknowing in Christ. 

Those were our marching orders and we marched on.

On that early morning run He quietly asked, "You have lived your life in obedience, simplicity and unknowingly but have you written your life in the same?"

The Great Counselor asks all the right questions.

Obedience ~

Have I written faithfully, diligently and obediently simply because my Dad told me to?

No.  My track record speaks for itself (note the date of my last entry).

Simplicity ~

Do I write simply? 

No.  I am waiting to paint the Picasso with words, a language masterpiece.  What makes me think I can write a linguistic Picasso?  Good question, I have no answer.

Unknowingly ~

Have I written without knowing why I write?

No.  I have wanted to know the purpose, I have craved an answer that will not come.  I have questioned repeatedly, but dinner needs to get in the oven, why write?  I have papers to grade, what purpose do a few scribbled words serve?  I am exhausted, another day please?  I have not had a conversation with another adult go uninterrupted for more then 2 1/2 minutes in over 2 1/2 weeks, really?  You want me to write a blog that only a few read and even less care about, really? 

No.  No.  No. 

Three strikes and in a normal ball game I would be out but who ever said I serve a normal God?!

So, under the warm sun I said those all too familiar words of mine, I am so sorry, three times over, and He said, "I forgive you as far as the East is from the West."

I must admit this is not the first time I have written an apology to Him over my writing and it may not be the last, only God knows.

But, for today I wrote out of obedience, in simplicity and without knowing.

So, He teaches yet again and I march on and race on and pray on that I may write on in obedience, simplicity and unknowing.

Putting pen to paper, I have certainly missed you.