Jesus Knows

Those who know me well know that I have a tender heart, a heart that makes tears flow very easily. I can't help it. It's just the way that I am. One afternoon driving home after a trying day, my thoughts overflowed bringing me to tears. It was at that moment that the Christian radio station quoted the Psalmist's poetic writings, "You keep track of all my sorrows. You've collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

Here I am crying, and David is saying in his anguish (he was a POW at the time), that he knows that God is aware of every tear drop and just as the hairs on our head are numbered, so are our tears, as if collected in his bottle and each one written down in his book and acknowledged. Not physically, but metaphorically, I believe it is true.      

The shortest verse in the Bible is, “Jesus wept”. This was when Lazarus died. A study of the translation reveals these were silent, personal tears. There was another time in the Bible that it was noted that Jesus wept, Luke 19:41, "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it." This word for wept translates into "wept aloud". His love of his country, patriotism and seeing what it had become brought him to tears.             

I know the events of 2020 have brought many to tears. Our country is in pain in so many ways. For Christians, we hold on to the belief that God is in control. Jesus came to earth as a child, living on earth and experiencing life as a human, including shedding tears. He suffered physical and emotional pain, grief, anger, humiliation along with joy, peace, love—all the feelings. There could be another two-word verse in the Bible: “Jesus knows.”

Whatever you are going through, Jesus sees it all and knows. All our tears, shed and unshed, are known by God, not actually kept in a bottle, but may this imagery remind you, he was born, lived, and died all for you, that is how much he cares. May you reflect upon his love and in this birth, we celebrate now that leads us to life everlasting and a life of no more tears, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Revelation 21:4. 

As we all navigate through the unknown seas (salted like tears) in this coming year, may you know that although you may sometimes be alone or those who feel alone even in a crowded room (pre-Covid-19), know you are never alone. Jesus is there. Jesus knows. Every tear drop that falls is seen. At this Christmas time and as we enter a new year, may you have the hope and the joy that only God can give. Merry Christmas.

                                                                                                                                                          

Christmas

Our Christmas days were always only just the three of us, Mom, Dad and me. No extended family. I didn't know any different and it was nice and quiet and happy. I am so blessed and thankful to have two kids and 5+ grandkids and of course, my Dad and George to celebrate Christmas with now. I am just so grateful to God for family and for His great gift to us on this day and the tears of joy I feel now reflect that I don't take this for granted. I have today. You have today.

If your Christmas is not as happy this year for so many painful reasons out there, I hope you will find the blessings that you do have. You always have something to be thankful for no matter how small. You may think, easy for me to say, and that is true compared to the struggles some of you are going through. I am sorry. May memories of Christmases past bless you and remember those memories and when you lived them are a gift from God

It can be a lonely time for some but God came to earth for you too and he died for YOU too. If you are alone, you may not have many gifts under your tree, or not a tree or even gifts at all, but you have one big gift to unwrap from God and this is a good day to unwrap that gift, the promise of Eternal Life, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." I hope we see you there. Obviously, these are my beliefs and I know some chose to believe differently. I just wanted to share with you the hopefulness that Christmas gives me and my family. May you find your hope.

When the blue faded away

I think it all started when the Blue Laws started fading to white and disappeared. Once upon a time, children, stores were not open on Sunday. You would spend the day with your family, maybe go for a ride or pop in to see other family or friends. 

This was at a time when TVs didn't have remotes and it really wasn't necessary because you only had a few channels to chose from anyway. You didn't have videos to rent, DVRs to record. The TV programming ended at midnight. You watched what was on and if you didn't like it, the TV went off and you did something else--read, play games, pursue a hobby or go outside. You called people on the phone, if your party line wasn't busy being used by someone else. If they weren't home, you couldn't leave a message. You couldn't text them. 

I remember Sunday rides--often aimlessly going wherever the road took us. The families actually gathered for family dinner on Sunday. When we were first married, we kept up this tradition for awhile visiting my parents on Sunday. 

Then stores began opening on Sunday. You had an extra day to run your errands. This provided more jobs for the workforce too. Schools began allowing sports on Sundays, theater rehearsals and any other activity. Sundays faded into another Saturday, the weekend.

While that was happening, technology was booming. Our choices for entertainment grew and grew. TV viewing went from a couple of channels to eventually 100's. We could rent movies to watch at home and even record programs on TV to watch at our convenience. Then came the internet with a whole other expansion of possibilities to entertain us. 

As things progressed, some things got left behind--the biggest one, family time. Since Sunday was an extension of Saturday, other things filled up the time. Sunday was not a leisure day any more and as that happened, families didn't get together for Sunday dinner. Families didn't visit each other any more. The day got filled up with watching kids' sports or other activities or running errands. Why would anyone sit down together to play a board game when each could do their own on their electronics? Reading and hobbies occupied less time. 

As everyday became a day when one could run to the store to purchase anything--even alcohol and movies could be called up on demand or streamed on the internet, and people could text someone at any time of day or order anything on the internet to be here the next day, we became a world of wanting things in an instance. The more convenient and easier things got, the more we want and want it now. 

What did we lose? Family. The "Cat's in the Cradle" song, all too real. 

Growing Old

And just like that layers and layers of life piled high on each other

and we had indeed 

grown old together. 

Merry Christmas!

THIS LIFE of ours has its joy and its sorrows, 
its beginnings and endings
It is an interesting journey like a novel unfolding before us. 
Then there's THAT LIFE, 
the life of Jesus, 
a deity who came to earth as a baby as a living sacrifice
so that one day the tears and heartache will end. 
Families will be reunited 
and there will be a happily ever after to this life's story.
Our gift to God is our belief, 
our hearts.
His gift to us is eternal life, 
a happily ever after.

Believe and Receive.


MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!

The Ocean of Grief

When you stand at the edge of the ocean and the waves knock you down with your grief, sometimes you just have to sit and wallow in it blending your salty tears with the salt water. As time goes by, you stand up and the waves of grief will come, usually a steady, gentle reminder of your loss. There will also be sudden times when an unexpected big wave will make you lose your balance or even knock you over. Tears once again combine with the salted sea.

The waves drift in with caresses of memories that touch you. You savor them and hope that as they flow in and out of your life, that you will not lose some of them as time and distance separates you.

You learn to live with the ebb and flow of life and of death, never stagnant, always touching you. Today I may need to wallow a little. I don't think it's a bad thing as long as I get up again, and I will.

Missing you, Mom. Five years gone today. Love you more than words can say.

Moving Forward

When your heart is heavy

And life’s fog is thick

And the way, unclear

With no answer to the “whys?” of life,

Tears can cleanse the soul but

Weeping, standing is stagnant.

The fog and darkness remain.

Take one step into the fog

Step by step you will see through tears

Glimpses of the path before you.

The future is vague

You may have mountains to climb

Or ditches to avoid

But God is there

Clearing the fog one step at a time,

Until one day when the time is right,

You will find a sunrise just for you,

A new day, a new bright beginning,

One that can only be found

By moving forward through the fog.