Refuge in the storm

The world has changed since the onset of the Great Recessionof 2007-to-Infinity. Yes, I know the government economists say the recession wasover in the summer of 2009. But that’s theirnarrowly-defined set of rules to classify slumps, bubbles, recessions,Black Fridays, and crises. They declare that unemployment stands at 9.2percent, but that figure only includes those covered by miniscule unemploymentcompensation payments, not the millions of men and women who termed out, neverqualified, are military veterans, are returning to the workforce, or haverecently graduated from university or high school.

The real unemployment rate is between 18 and 27 percent.That means you and/or one of your family members and many of your friends areunemployed—and scared. People over 45 years of age have been unemployed longer, and makeup the greater part of the pool of potential labor.

This means that people have lost their homes and vehicles,have moved in with relatives, and disposed of beloved pets because they can’tkeep them any longer. It means that they’ve given or sold their heirlooms andheritage. They’ve moved from the place they called home, to an unfamiliar placethat gives no sense of refuge or rest from the fray.

What economists don’t say, because it would create a crisisof “consumer confidence” (you are encouraged to laugh derisively here), is thatwe passed out of a recession, and into a de-pression.The economics we knew have gone away, and will not return. Ever. I heard oneeconomist say that unemployment cannot (not just won’t—cannot) return to its sick levels of 2007, until 2023. Who can lastthat long? No one! Better stake out your appliance carton under the bridge,right?  Or stop wasting time on thesearch for a job that doesn’t exist, and start making your own work—which iswhat I’ve done.

With all the pain, loss, anger and greed in this worldstorming around us like a Category Five hurricane, it’s easy to be discouraged,become sick with frustration, and lose sight of our refuge and secure, quietplace.  

But somewhere over the roar of the storm winds and thunder, whilewe’re drowning in our finances and trauma, we hear sometimes as a whisper and sometimes as a triumphant shout, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ Jesus said. ‘Takecourage. I AM here!’ Matthew14:27 NLT. Or, colloquially, “You've got the I AM—here—right now, so there's no reason to be afraid. The I AM has it handled.”

I AM. God’s personal name. I AM loving, compassionate,merciful, forgiving. I AM here. I AM the bread of life. I AM the resurrectionand the life. I AM the good shepherd. I AM WHO I AM.

What is left but to submit to the One who exists, whoorders, who creates, who heals, who restores. The One who offers to take ourburdens upon himself and give us rest. In him all the time is the sabbath rest that makes ussigh with deepest satisfaction, “Ah, thisis the life.”

Ah, surely yourgoodness and unfailing love will pursue me—hound me, stalk me—all the days ofmy life, and my home will be in the heart of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6,my version.

Midsummer: the veil is open

Having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh. Hebrews 10:19, 20 NKJV

Today is the longest daylight of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. For thousands of years, this date has been observed by devotees of pagan gods, and bonfires were lit and vigils held during the short hours of darkness. The idea was that people were safe from the evil spirits within the circle of the bonfires' light.

Ancient peoples built their pyramids, stone circles, palaces, road alignments, shrines, and temples based on their solar observations on this day in particular.

At solar festivals (solstices, equinoxes, and the six-week intervals between—February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1), the eve of solar holy days was seen as a time when the veil (something that conceals, separates, or screens like a curtain) between this world and the Otherworld (of spirits, gods, fairies, and the dead) was very weak, and powerful Otherworld figures could cross through.

Just like they built Christian churches over pagan religious shrines, our ancestors replaced these festivals with feasts and holidays. Most pagan holidays had to do with sex and fertility (Easter, May Day), but also with death and rebirth (Halloween/All Saints, Christmas, Lent).

Christians are so blessed to live in peace and freedom from fear. We don’t have to appease vengeful gods by burning sage, pouring out libations, or making blood sacrifices. We need not fear haunting or demon possession because Christ Almighty protects us with His veil.

Hebrews 10:19-24 NKJV says: Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith... Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.

That’s an encouraging, satisfying, peacemaking message from God. He is all-powerful, and we are His children, so let us go forth in His Name, in His strength, and in His heart of grace. And in contrast to what those evil spirits would do if they're loosed, let’s use this Midsummer as an occasion to stir up love and good works.

Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping others in ways they need us, far more than what we'd choose to "do unto others." (A little religious joke there.) Sometimes it's as easy as listening without giving advice, or an extra two seconds of a hug, just because. Other times, it will involve sacrifice on our parts. But God gives us the discernment to know what to say and do--and what not to say and do at the appropriate times. He'll show us who needs the lovins. When the veil is open, not only do we have access to the Father, but His love is freely poured out on us, and through us to others.

Sweeping waves? Surging tides? Bring it on!

(Originally posted elsewhere, November 2008)

The United States has elected new leaders at the national, state, and local levels. Some propositions, notably the ones connected with morality, have made history. The joy and optimism of the majority of voters is matched by millions of people who are deeply unhappy at the election results, and look at the next several years with fear and depression.

And speaking of apprehension… This turnover occurs during a severe, worldwide financial crisis. Financial planners forecast a recession that may not improve for two to four years. The news outlets broadcast a flood of business closures and bankruptcies. Many people have lost their jobs, homes, and retirement investments even though they were carefully managing their assets and resources. Those with savings are prudently holding back on frivolous spending.

While researching this article, I received a “robo-call” that began (before I hung up): “Don’t be alarmed, but this is your last chance to receive a lower interest rate.”

A few days ago, millions celebrated Halloween or Day of the Dead (October 31 and November 1) with not only candy and costumes, but a keen interest in death, monsters, demons, vampires, and rivers of fake blood. What seems incomprehensible is why people live in a state of fear, and then spend money on books and films to frighten them further.

And there are the rumors and conspiracy theories that in case of a security issue or large-scale chaos, we’ll be rounded up, stripped of human and civil rights, and society reduced to a police state. Actually, such fear is not new: remember when Baby Boomers were taught that “duck and cover” under steel and Formica school desks could protect us from nuclear blast?

What we need is a shot of courage. Strength of character that comes from faith that God is in control. Remembrance that the God who calms the cyclone also calms the storms in our microcosms of the world and in our hearts.

Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you…I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. Psalm 42:7-8 NLT.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by impending disaster, and sense the repeated waves of a tsunami threatening your safety and peace, remember that the Lord “pours his unfailing love” on us. The psalmist is not talking about our perception of coming disaster, but (oh, this is good!) God’s life-giving love surging and sweeping over us, and that is occasion for singing and praying! If there’s anything we need, surely it’s the Lord’s infinite, redeeming love carrying us on the crest of the wave.

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Psalm 42:11 NLT.

One of the memory verses burned into our minds is “perfect love casts out all fear.” This text, in context, bridges the centuries since John the Beloved wrote it, and speaks to us just as freshly today: And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect [complete/mature]. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. 1 John 4:17-19 NLT.

Again, we are reminded that God loves us. Jesus meets fear and vanquishes it with love. God has graciously given us adoption as His beloved children (by creation) and heirs (by adoption and the death of Jesus). Out of the beautiful passage in Romans 8:14-19 is this jewel: You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.

There’s a belief that the Bible contains 365 occurrences of “do not fear,” one for each day of the year. A concordance search will show that it’s not a true count. It’s actually an underestimation. The Bible is packed with literally thousands of phrases like “fear not,” to “be of good courage,” to “be still” or at peace, that the Lord calls us by pet names, that He is our Shepherd and we lack nothing, that we are loved and protected, that He rescues and saves us, that there is now no condemnation, and that He’s coming soon.

There is a wonderful piece of advice that the mature, experienced Paul gave to young and inexperienced Timothy, who would be ministering during turbulent and extremely dangerous times. He wrote, I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 NLT.

That is the roadmap for times like these. This is the right time for the message. The milestones are prayer, helping, interceding, giving thanks, and bringing people back to fulfilling relationship with each other and with God. The destination is reconciliation. And remember, although we walk through hard times hand in hand with God, the end-time tribulation is not for us – we are sheltered under God’s wings. We are aliens in this world, but citizens of an eternal kingdom.

Jesus is the One who brings wholeness to our lives. He, being the Spirit of love, casts out fear. If He is for us, who can be against us? Jesus is the tsunami of love and grace (Psalm 42).

That means you should take off your shoes, roll up your pants legs, and dive in, shouting triumphantly all the way, “Bring it on! No fear! No fear! No fear!”

Security in desperate times

During one of those recent stock market 500-point dives, this was an exchange between friends on Facebook:

Annie: I’m glad that my retirement is still 30-some years away. Matthew (some years older): Funny, now so is mine!

The late-night TV comics assert that the stock market fell 500 points in a day, but that’s good news, right, because who knew there were 500 points left on the board?

The route between home and work is strewn with House for Sale signs. Some businesses and auto dealerships have moved out of their rented space. We wonder if the bank with which we’ve done business for years will have the same name tomorrow as it does today. On the morning news, we see that a man who saved carefully for his whole life is about to retire, and finds that his retirement account will only last three to five years because his investments have gone sour and he has no time to replace those savings. We read that a family of six died by murder-suicide because the provider lost his job and could think of no solution for his “shame;” or that a single mother killed herself and her child rather than accept charity or face homelessness. We learn that an international insurance company, which “saved” millions of dollars over the years by denying claims to its own clients, has been rescued by the government (which means us taxpayers), to the tune of $85 billion. All of that in less than a week.

Some people say they’re surprised at this financial crisis. But it’s a simple formula: War leads to a temporary economic boom (or bubble), followed by a “correction” in inflated prices, followed by a recession (when the bills come due for the costs of the war) — or even collapse. Like a weight-loss plan, when it took a while to put on the pounds, and it will take longer to work them off; so, too, we will sacrifice comforts for years to return to a balanced life. Read on, though, because there is a remedy, from the lips of our Savior.

A pastor’s widow found herself in desperate circumstances:

One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves." Elisha said, "I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Nothing," she said. "Well, I do have a little oil." "Here's what you do," said Elisha. "Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors. And not just a few—all you can get. Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside." She did what he said. She locked the door behind her and her sons; as they brought the containers to her, she filled them. When all the jugs and bowls were full, she said to one of her sons, "Another jug, please." He said, "That's it. There are no more jugs." Then the oil stopped. She went and told the story to the man of God. He said, "Go sell the oil and make good on your debts. Live, both you and your sons, on what's left." 2 Kings 4:1-7 MSG

God supports microenterprise! More important, He honors and delights those who trust in Him. This widow knew where to go for resources. She was not too proud to meet every neighbor and put herself under their mercies as she borrowed their household goods to set up her business. She and her boys carried home heavy clay jars as large as themselves. (She went from nothing, to a houseful of borrowed empties. This is actually a negative number!) This widow had the faith to fill her 400 square-foot, one-room house with empty amphorae and bowls, and then pour her “little oil” as if she had a pipeline to the olive grove oilpress. Along with her full jars, she had a grateful heart to report the miracle and ask for new instructions. She had the courage to set up shop in the marketplace and sell her commodity, then pay off her creditors. Surely she returned the borrowed vessels to her neighbors with her joyful testimony of grace. Out of her “abundance” of emptiness, she was miraculously filled to overflowing. And she obeyed the prophet and lived.

When we are at our weakest, lowest, most hollow, echoingly vacant point, remember that this is the place with more space for the power of God to fill us to overflowing. The Lord said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

And Paul wrote, Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV

During an election season (in the United States), we sometimes hear Christians say that they don’t want to support “lazy people” with food, shelter, and health care, that they want to keep all their hard-earned money for themselves and their family. This is a natural human reaction. But the Bible says, We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." Romans 15:1-3 NIV

The Lord has commissioned His people to care for the widows and orphans, the helpless, the sick, the prisoners; to take up collections for the famine-stricken and poor. To pay our taxes faithfully to support the work of our governments and support the infrastructure needed for commerce and emergency services. In fact, we are to pray for our leaders (even if they despitefully abuse us).

In times of hardship and insecurity, it seems, incredibly, that God is telling us not to worry about our own financial security or welfare (because we can’t grow taller or live an hour longer anyway), but to cast our burdens on Him and get busy helping others. Get your nose out of your navel, forget yourself, and work for others. This is the Lord’s remedy for financial insecurity.

That is not logical by this world’s standards. But we know that this world where we’re busy measuring stacks of stuff, defining our own borders, pouring concrete to nail down our territory, buying and selling, grabbing and counting — this world is only the shadow of the real, tangible kingdom of God. All is upside down and backward from what our senses tell us! The first shall be last, a child shall lead adults, the repentant sinner is justified while the religious professional isn’t, the humble is exalted, a widow’s mite is worth more than a rich man’s major gift… Jesus was out to bend our minds, apparently!

So here’s the thing to remember when we hear the news, or even if we make the news! The Lord Jesus says to you (surely with love, understanding, and concern in His voice), “Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. [Get busy with helping others!] Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:29-34 NIV

What is your treasure? It’s not something anyone can measure or assign geophysical coordinates to. Your treasure is Jesus living in your heart. It cannot be exhausted or drained in financial failure. And it is the ultimate security, the only retirement plan. Eternal life with the Beloved.

Obstacles

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5 NIV

My Border collie Evie was abused in her first 18 months, then abandoned at a county kennel. Because of her pure breed, she was fostered for six months by a rescue organization, then advertised on the Internet, and that’s where I found her. Her foster mom, therapist, and trainer for six months was Paula, who described the numerous attempts to lead Evie through the agility course obstacles. Evie did well on weaving, diving through a tunnel, and leaping through a hoop, but balked at the high and narrow walk. She refused the walk at first, then took it each time with increasing confidence and purpose, looking forward to praise and treats with each success.
Paula said, “I gave the command, and she bounded in! I called to her to Walk It, and she trotted up. I sat on the ground and called her into my arms, as my tears spilled onto her coat. Evie ran the rest of the course off-lead, willing and wagging. I don’t know the last time I have been so touched and so proud of a dog.”

We’ve all been in a place where we’re unsure or scared to move, even with encouragement. Fears are not entirely irrational, as they stem from previous experiences and injuries. God leads us through dark tunnels and obstacles, but still we balk. We fear speaking in public, showing strong emotion, being alone, not having enough money, being noticed, not being noticed, wondering if we’re good enough. God keeps leading us into strength and confidence.

Each time Evie came to the obstacle, it got easier. Although the course didn’t change in difficulty, she trusted her trainer to stay with her, and that there would be love and treats afterward. Do you remember the times the Lord brought you through a challenge and you emerged victorious? There was intimacy in God’s arms as He embraced you.

Psalm 34:4-5 NIV says, I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

May we take a lesson from the furry children of God and find no reason to shrink from God’s adventures and challenges. Let’s move boldly out there, taking the steps God has planned for us.

Suburban Safari

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done…If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. Psalm 40:5 NASB

On her back yard outings, calico cat Abby hunts for lizards and grasshoppers. When she does catch something, she brings it to me for inspection. Bugs get eaten, lizards released.

Late one night, I awoke to a shrill twittering. When I turned on the light, I saw a tiny gray field mouse cowering by the baseboard, with Abby ready to pounce. She’d caught him in the screen porch, and brought him inside to show me. The mouse looked exactly like one of Abby’s toy mousies, only this one had locomotion and a sound card!

Abby and I chased the mouse around and under furniture (with different purposes in mind). Somehow I managed to “herd” the mouse into the bathroom and stop up the space under the door. Abby wasn’t happy.

The next morning, I decided I’d better catch that mouse and put him outside. So I pushed the shower curtain over the closed shower door, and sure enough, there was a tiny thud when the mouse dropped onto the fiberglass floor. I let myself into the shower, and sat on the ledge, contemplating how to catch the mouse without hurting it. The mouse hoped his gray fur would blend with the white shower tile.

I wondered how I appear to God. God has a plan, and wants to rescue me and set me in safety, but all I can see is this moment, and this moment is frightening.

But back to the shower mouse. I sacrificed a tissue box, and slowly moved toward him. “No! No!” he squeaked. I moved in slowly. The box came down over the mouse, I tumbled him down to the bottom, and clapped a glass saucer over the top. I walked to the back yard corner and set the box down in the bouganvilla flowers. The mouse huddled in his new comfort zone, so I tipped him out of the box, into a deep pile of pink flower bracts. When I checked on him ten minutes later, he’d escaped to a world of blossoms. I saw the mouse again recently. Abby had him treed. The mouse still lives, and the cat is still frustrated!

The Lord’s thoughts toward us are of compassion and care for His children. We have nothing to fear from His rescue.