several weeks now we’ve journeyed deeper into a new “Lent” a moment of pause seems appropriate to survey the time we have spent
you may have been fasting from something to separate wanting from need examining our own dependence vs. asking Jesus to intercede
it may be that you have added a practice to deepen devotion discovering new depths of Divine Love like moving from pool to the ocean
but perhaps you may have forgotten or thought such a practice for others you wonder if there is still time to know new practice or freedom from druthers
there are still three weeks left ’til Easter each morning a fresh invitation to invite His Spirit to soften our hearts and offer us New liberation
will you invite new freedom from worry? will you allow His peace to arrive? will you attune to the depths of His Love, released from all burden to strive?
God meets you even in this moment As your heart considers the odds This season can prepare your heart to be Loved As we pause to remove all facades
There’s one from the Mercantile in Oklahoma. We went there as a family in the middle of winter, on our way to speak at a church in Kansas. We were raising funds and prayers as we became missionaries to Hungary. The church didn’t offer any financial support, but they did take us out for Mexican food. We were thankful we worked in a fun family side trip to see “The Pioneer Woman”, because otherwise that trip would have felt a bit disappointing. We trusted God and traveled anywhere someone would invite us to speak. He provided, and we were thankful to go and minister in Hungary as long as He had us there.
There’s another from “Wheel of Fortune”, as I was a contestant on the show in 2007. You should definitely go if you ever get the chance; it’s worth it. When I graduated from college, I hadn’t only learned Greek. I’d also learned how to use a credit card. The habit cost us deeply in our first years of marriage, and 5 years later, in 2007, we were spinning our wheels in mud trying to pay it off. I went on the show and won just enough to pay off the credit cards (and buy a dishwasher). We were thankful that I also won a trip to Vegas and a trip to Hawaii. We will always be thankful for how God used this show. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to afford adopting our daughter or living as missionaries for a season. Don’t go into debt on purpose, but always know God’s resources are way beyond what we may ever expect.
There’s a purple ornament from Olivet Nazarene University. I remember going to ONU when I was a high schooler to compete in “talent competitions” called “Celebrate Life”. I didn’t appreciate it much at the time, beyond a great social event, but God was offering me a vision of the extended family a connectional church provides beyond the borders of cities, states, or even countries. Olivet ended up being where Sarah and I dated and began living as a married couple, and where our oldest daughter attends even now. It became my first “home away from home”, a respite from rough seasons of life, and a source of family in so many healing ways. I know no institution run by human beings is going to be without faults, but we really are thankful for ONU and the ways it continues to bear fruit.
There’s a picture ornament with photos of our family in Paris. More than just a “fun vacation” we took on Sarah’s birthday, we had no idea the precipice the world was on during those days. We were based in Hungary as Free Methodist missionaries, but flew (European flights between countries are very cheap sometimes!) from nearby Vienna to Paris for a few days. While we were in Paris, the world closed its borders in response to the growing pandemic. We made it back to Vienna, but were pretty much “smuggled” back into Hungary past army tents where foreigners were being detained. I’ll never forget our driver pulling over to call his wife and tell her what he was about to try and do…not knowing what would happen to any of us. We were so thankful to finally get “home”. Thus began a season of ministry overseas that would continue to both test and shape our family’s trust in the God we’d felt called by and sent to serve.
There are many more ornaments, from each of our lives as individuals, as well as family moments we remember together. As we decorate the tree each year, we don’t stop to tell all the stories, as that would take forever. But we’re blessed to pause here and there, as someone in the family says, “Hey, remember this?”
God has been good. God is good. The promise of this season of Advent is that God will be good also. We can trust in Him, not only because we have no other option. We are blessed to be able to place our trust in our God, who has revealed Himself as a loving Father. He invites us today, no matter what our experiences have been in the past, into a renewed experience of walking in loving attachment and being attuned to His face, which lights up with joy as we turn toward Him.
I look forward to all the ways we will remember these current moments in our walk…as we hang ornaments commemorating what God will do this next year.
I was able to take a friend out for lunch recently who has visited our church for many years. He is still exploring faith and has some intellectual disability, causing him to ask many of the same questions as a 7-year-old. It can be frustrating at times but also incredibly wonder-filled. We went out to a Mexican restaurant, where he ordered a burger and French fries. He was laughing about how funny it was to order a cheeseburger at a Mexican restaurant. He smiled big when the food came and laughed when the waiter brought him a refill of his Pepsi, committing to drink it all or take it home in a “to-go” cup.
As we sat and ate, conversation wandered all over the map. We talked about things of great and little significance, and I shared scriptures with him about the love and authority of God in his life. He has a lot of questions about spiritual powers and the forces at work behind what we can see. I continue to invite him to know Jesus in a relationship and to walk in the light God provides still today by His Spirit. We agreed that many things in this world are confusing.
I asked him what other things in this world are confusing, and in the midst of his response he mentioned “donut boxes”. “They’re so hard to put together. They’re flat, but you’re supposed to put donuts in them. I just don’t even try.” It was a humbling reminder for me of the simple things we take for granted. I pointed out there was a Meijer right across the street, and I’d be happy to take him over there and do a quick lesson on donut-box-assembly. He smiled big again, and agreed that would be a great use of our time together.
We slowly assembled a good 6 or 7 boxes, putting them up on the donut case afterward for other people to use (hopefully). Then I asked if he’d like some donuts. His eyes got big for a moment, but then he responded calmly, “No that’s okay. You bought me lunch already, and that’s enough.” I told him, “Well, this time it’s not me. Jesus wants to buy you the donuts, He just wants to buy them through me.”
He chuckled a bit. “Jesus doesn’t have any money.” I explained to him my belief, all resources belong to God. God can use anything, big or small, to accomplish His purposes, and in this case it meant getting him some donuts. He reluctantly agreed to let Jesus buy him some donuts. He picked a couple apple fritters, a chocolate glazed, and a cinnamon donut.
I scanned the barcode. It was $3.95. Without thinking, I entered my phone number for the “Meijer Perks”, because I do it whenever we shop there. Immediately the screen popped up: “You have $4 in your Meijer Perks Account. Would you like to use it now?”
Even my eyes grew big this time. We hardly ever shop at Meijer, because it’s on the other side of town. I looked at my friend to make sure he noticed what was happening. “Do you see? Not only did Jesus want to buy you donuts, but He wanted you to know it was Him…not me.” He couldn’t believe it either, and we both walked out feeling like God had offered us a wink in the form of a donut. He sees us, and cares about our day – even the seemingly insigificant moments.
I don’t think my friend is ready to put his entire life into the hands of Jesus yet, but it was a fun memory to be a part of. It’s one more moment nurturing the seeds of faith. May we all look for more moments of joining (or becoming aware of) the Love of Jesus. His Love is working even now, to draw us all into greater awareness if we’re willing to take notice…
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3
words from wick 