Red Bird Devotions #24

Flat Rabbits

As I was driving to the gym this morning at 5:48, I noticed a rabbit (and two raccoons and three white-tailed deer) trying to avoid certain death as my car zoomed by. This rabbit was different than the other wildlife that I observed on my short commute; while the maybe-somewhat-smarter raccoon and deer ducked for cover in the nearby forest of trees, the rabbit, being a city dweller, ran under another car—albeit stationary. And the first thought that came to mind was, “he thinks he’s safe there.”

Sometimes, I think we are like that. Our lives start getting uncomfortable, or painful, or out of control, and we think our protection lies somewhere in this world. We think if we can just find a way out of this suffocating circumstance, these painful memories, or these dizzying demands on our time, that we will feel safe and relaxed. But we’re wrong—just like that rabbit was wrong. In the same way we know eventually that car will start up again--and eventually it will back over that creature that looked for protection behind its wheel--when we run to anything but the one true God for comfort, that "false protector" will eventually pull us away from the real one—and maybe even crush us.

As Christians, we know where our Real Security lies; it is not in ease or comfort or wealth. It’s not in education, or influence, or beauty or other relationships. We only have real safety when we hide ourselves with Christ in God—He is truly our Rock and our Refuge--all other things will disappoint.

And instead of having life to the full, we will just be a flat rabbit.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
   my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior…

2 Samuel 22:2-3

'member that time?

Hey friends, I had a busy weekend and am just trying to catch up, so I'm talking a break today from the devos to share a couple of 'member that time? Monday posts from January and October 2011.  But first, a little context:  

When I was 7 years old, my mom taught high school kids with learning disabilities.  One of those kids was named Bruce Campbell.  Bruce was the youngest of 9 kids and he had faced some tough circumstances...one of them was being homeless at 17.  Since my mom was his teacher and had developed a close relationship with him, she and my dad took the "Foster Care" classes required by the state of Minnesota (where we lived when I was young), and after completion, brought Bruce into our home as part of our family for a time. I was thrilled to tell everyone that I had a big brother! Even though Bruce eventually moved out on his own, my parents have maintained contact with him over the years.  Bruce is now in his early 60's, but every time I think of him, an artistic, long-haired, soft-spoken teenager shows up in my brain.  

Today, Bruce had a stroke and is in the hospital with an uncertain prognosis.  Will you pray with me for my dear foster brother as you read about him in the posts below?  God is good and he is listening.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

‘member that time?

'member that time when the gerbil died in the winter and our foster brother Bruce, was babysitting us? And member how he didn't know what to do with it when it was dead and he put it down the garbage disposal and it sounded really crunchy for a long time? 

Member that? 

It made me have bad dreams. I miss my crunched up gerbil.

Monday, October 3, 2011

‘member that time?

This ‘member that time is for my foster brother, Bruce, whose birthday is tomorrow.  Happy Birthday Bruce! 

‘member that time when Bruce got me a brown fuzzy rabbit for my birthday and member how I named it Tarzan?  And member how one lazy summer day I went out to feed my beloved pet and his head had been ripped off by a dog or some other ferocious beast?  

member that?  That was an unpleasant experience for an 8 year old.  Not to mention gross. No more swinging in the jungle for that Tarzan. 

Pretty sad stuff, huh?  But I have recovered by now and developed into a normal human being even after that horrific experience.

And I even have more pets and all of them still have their heads.

Doggone it!

Over the weekend, I taught at a Women's Retreat at Hidden Acres Christian Camp outside of Dayton, Iowa.  When I was teaching about #WhosTheBoss, I used an illustration that I had gleaned a few years ago (when I was at wit's end with my naughty puppy) from an online dog trainer called Doggy Dan.  As I was going through the list of training rules on Doggy Dan's website, I was struck by how applicable they were to me when I visualized God as the Master and me as...ahem...the dog. 

Read on for the training rules:

1. Feeding: The dog needs to know that you control the food and will give it when he needs it.  

So, how exactly does this relate to me?  I am able to get my own food pretty much anytime I want and sometimes when I don't even need it.  But, when Psalm 145:15-16 says, "The eyes of all look to you,  and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing," I'm fairly certain, God is not just promising to feed us physically.  In fact, Philippians 4:19 tells us that God has promised to supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory.  This means that, in the same way that my dog needs to trust that I will give him his breakfast in the morning and his supper at night, I need to trust that God will give whatever I need whenever I need it.  Trusting God also means that I will choose NOT to worry about what he is or is not going to give..."Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"  (Matthew 6:25-26) . If we could see our future clearly and where each and every situation would take us, we wouldn’t need to trust God or make him Boss.

   

2. Danger: Always remain calm and relaxed and let your dog know that you will protect him in the event of danger.  This way your dog will learn to trust your judgment.  

If my dog chooses to disobey me, distrust me, or generally ignore me, I cannot properly protect him from danger--or give him good things. In the same way, if we have chosen to make God our Master, we are eternally secure; our inheritance sure.  If we truly believe that God is, indeed, sovereign, we will trust his judgment on what is good for us.  Nothing takes God by surprise ever!  When we are undone by tests and trials, it is because we are not fully resting in God's protective care.  First Peter 4:12-13 says, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."  As Christ-followers, we should expect that this life will include suffering, but we can also be assured that our eternity will be full of joy!

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3.  Everything on Your Terms: You should initiate everything. Watch out for attention-getting or space-invading.

Oftentimes, when my dog wants me to pay attention to him, he will put his paws (and his sharp claws) on my leg so I will play with him.  He will continue to do this over and over until I reprimand him.  We do this with God too.  No, we don't have paws, and we don't ask God to "play" with us, but we do enter into his presence with our own agenda and seeking our own glory.  And sometimes, we forget that God is our real Master, and we fill his place with selfish ambition.  When we replace God's glory with our own, or put others/things/experiences on his throne, we are inverting his God-ordained order and operating outside of his boundaries.  Isaiah 46:9 speaks for God and says, "I am God and there is no other.  I am God and there is none like me." Those are the terms God has designed and since he "is in the Heavens, [he] does whatever pleases him." (Psalm 115:3).

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4. The Walk:  Do not move until the lead is loose and your dog is calm.  If your dog is pulling you, turn around.  

Mostly, I don't walk my dog on a leash since we live by the woods where he can freely run.  But, sometimes, when I need to take him somewhere that a leash is required, he tries really hard to be in charge--pulling so hard that he actually cuts off his supply of oxygen.  I am not so unlike my dog.  Guess what? God will choose to accomplish his purposes in spite of us if we, like my dog, think we can walk ourselves.  But, if we remain calm, not "tugging on the lead," then God can accomplish his purposes through us!  Amazing!  When my dog pulls on the rope, he is only hurting himself; when I do the same, I am acting like I know better than God.  I have found a couple of verses that help me remember what my attitude and actions are supposed to look like when I feel my "walk" is not to my liking; Psalm 131:2 "But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content."

But, you know what? Even when we act like our silly pups, we aren't in the "doghouse" with our merciful Master; God still lavishly loves us and wants us show it by letting him lead.  And he tells us that, " In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence " (Ephesians 3:12) because he thinks we are the "pick of the litter!"  

         

Amen and Amen.

“God is too good to be unkind and he’s too wise to be mistaken.  And when we cannot trace his hand, we must trust his heart.”  

~Charles Spurgeon

Freedom Walk

                           

Nearly two years ago, I got a new puppy and named him Jet. This energetic little ball of fur soon became a big black dog with a bad attitude.  I tried to train him to be nice and respectful and follow rules, but he wanted to do what he wanted to do…and with great gusto.  My dreams of an obedient and devoted pup were vanishing as fast as the expensive grain-free dog food that I fed him each day. Since his low-carb meals weren’t reducing his boundless energy, I decided that a nice long walk would be good for both of us.  So, every morning, I took him out into the fields behind our house and let him run.  At first he was cautious and would stay nearby; but then he became braver and started to venture further.  When I would call him back, he would triumphantly trot even faster and farther. Occasionally, he would come running back to me, but when he got just out of reach, he would sprint away, tail wagging victoriously. Because of his deviant behavior, I finally resorted to leash walking so that I could protect him from harm and teach him about acceptable boundaries. These leashed walks weren’t nearly as fun for Jet; he was closely tethered and often choked himself trying to pull ahead of me.

Enter the miracle collar.  After numerous attempts to reward (non-existent) obedient behavior and to give Jet a little more freedom, I finally purchased a “training collar” (or in less PC language, a “shock collar”).  When we first buckled this mighty miracle on Jet and he figured out what it could do (don’t report me to the Humane Society...we only used the “tone” function except in times of extreme disobedience or imminent danger), he was terrified of the control we possessed.  Mostly he just stayed in his kennel sulking because of his loss of perceived freedom; he hated the idea of submission to our rules. As he became accustomed to wearing it, though, he discovered that if he came when we called, he could actually gain freedom, not lose it; he could run faster and farther and free-er. Because he finally understood his boundaries, he was able to enjoy his un-tethered walks once again. By putting some parameters on his life (that were painful when he exceeded them), Jet gained freedom from his errant, and possibly harmful, desires.  He was able to run and play without fear of being “in trouble” because he knew how far he could go.

There was a time early on in history when God gave us the run of this earth, but because we thought we knew better than He, we did what we wanted to do…and we ventured outside the boundaries.  As a result of our deviant behavior, and because God wanted to keep us safe, He established some rules for us.  For a time, He put us on a leash called The Law; this law showed us the boundaries God had drawn.  But, because it kept us tethered to our sinful selves, we could never experience true freedom.  This kind of walking—according to the law—wasn’t nearly as fun and it almost choked the life out of us.

Enter the Miracle Maker. When Jesus came to live on Earth, he abolished this law by fulfilling it.  And He showed us a new way to live.  Some people scoffed at this new way, angered by its Leader’s claims. Some wandered outside of these parameters and suffered ‘shocks” that made their lives miserable. And still some chose to surrender their wills and follow this “higher law." These people, the ones who recognized the Miracle Maker and respected His Lordship, found this new way of walking beautiful and right; and when they, out of reverent obedience, stayed within God’s field of blessing, they experienced unleashed liberty like never before! They had abundant life!

A God-focused mindset is like that; like a fence (or a shock collar!) for us.  It reminds us of His design for our happiness and tells us how far we can go. We would be wise to listen for His call.

Nowadays my daily walk with Jet brings me joy.  He runs and romps and comes when he is called.  Tail wagging and no longer leashed, he knows his limits and respects them.  He also respects me.  And obeys me without question.  And that, my friend, is a true miracle from the wonderful Miracle Maker.

Amen and amen.

 "Therefore I will keep on obeying you forever and forever, free within the limits of your laws." 

Psalm 119:45 (TLB)

Four Truths My Puppy Taught Me About God

So I got a new pup, y’all, and his name is Jet; partially because he is all black and partially because my husband is a pilot.  Clever, eh?  I know I said I WOULD NOT get a puppy again because puppies are SO MUCH WORK.  But I did.  And I like him even though he always bites me with his sharp little teeth. Jet and I have been taking long sunrise walks in the morning and he has been teaching me some things about God.  Let me share them with you this Christmas.

1.  When Jet and I starting walking together, he was unsure of his surroundings and when I would let him off leash, he would stay so close to me that when I looked around I couldn’t find him.  He would be so near my legs that he was almost an extension of myself. And I started to think that that’s how we should be in our own lives.  Lesson Learned:  We should walk so closely with our Father that we “hide in Him”.  Our steps should so closely match our Father’s that when people look at us, they see Him. "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."  Colossians 3:3

2.  When we first got Jet, he was so new and small that I was very protective of him and kept him inside, catering to his every need.  But as he has gotten older and more destructive, we have moved him to his outdoor kennel and he has adjusted well.  Sometimes, when I have to leave him for hours, I worry that he will be unhappy and say to himself, “I have been in this kennel for soooo long and no one has come to visit me!” But that thinking is not accurate because dogs are not people.  People can reason and worry.  Dogs mostly just chew and sleep. Dogs accept their situation and are happy when someone shows up.  They don’t wear watches nor think of the future because dogs are not people.  Often, I make this same mistake with God.  Lesson Learned: Sometimes I expect God to do things in a certain order, or work out situations the way that I believe best because I suspect that God thinks like a person.  But God is not a person and He does not get anxious or tired. His mind is limitless and infinite; and when I limit God to my intellectual understanding of how he “should” act, I perceive Him wrongly. "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" Numbers 23:19

3.   Jet bites me—a bunch!—with his little razor sharp puppy teeth.  No matter what I do to tell him that this is a bad (and painful) action, he continues to bite and bite and bite.  He does this because he hasn’t learned to control himself or his impulses.  He also does it because he wants to do what he wants to do.  He thinks he is the Alpha. I make him submit to me every day, several times a day, and I hold his little furry snout shut and say, “You are not the Alpha.  I am the Alpha.”  And then when I let him go, he bites me again.  What Jet doesn’t seem to comprehend is that I am much bigger and stronger and powerful than he is—at least for now—and I feed him, or I don’t.  He has no idea of the power I actually wield and choose not to display.  Do we not show the same disrespect to God?  Lesson Learned:  God is the all-powerful Creator of the Universe, but often I forget His pre-eminence and “bite and nip” and complain about my life.  I do what I want to do, and I treat Him like a glorious vending machine.  God holds the power in his hands to sustain me or drop me, and yet, I keep on pretending that I am stronger.  How foolish to bite the hand that feeds me! "See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand."  Deuteronomy 32:39

4.  I really like Jet.  And Jet has made me so happy amidst my grief about losing Neo.  I find joy and purpose in taking care of him and having him trust me.  My life is better because I have a puppy.  I am truly fulfilled.  Lesson Learned:  What’s to say that Jet couldn’t disappear out of my life tomorrow unexpectedly just as my last dog did?  Nothing.  I have no guarantee of his existence.  My hope cannot be in this dog, or any dog, or any thing for that matter, except in Jesus Christ who chose to break through our time and space and be born as a baby at Christmas.  This same Lord is the one who surrendered Himself to a cross so my sins could be removed and grace could be given unabashedly. If I put my hope in Jet, I will be saddened, but my hope in my God will last. "This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."   Romans 5:5

Merry Christmas to all of you from Jet and all of us!