Snow Days, Hot Chocolate, and a Sacred Trust

Snow Days, Hot Chocolate, and a Sacred Trust

For Nick … you were the missing piece of our snow day. We love you!
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8).


Either we trust God or we don’t.

Today I’m stuck. Somewhere between my trust and my don’t. And since there is no middle ground, I suppose, that I don’t …

trust Him. At least not enough.

On a day intended for snow angels and hot chocolate and lots of lazy—a day designed for the simplicity of childhood understandings—I’m bogged down in the complexities of what I thought was a well-matured faith—a faith content and at peace with the unanswerables.

Instead, where peace usually reigns, there is a wrestling. Where contentedness usually flourishes, there is a mixture of emotions that scream their resistance. Where a well-matured faith usually roots, there seems but a few seedlings fighting for their anchor to the soil.


When my kids woke up this morning, they woke up to a snow day—a day off from school and from their usual routine of mandated learning. When I woke up this morning, I woke up to a day that requires my attendance in God’s classroom, where a mandated learning becomes my necessary if I want to bring health to this body and nourishment to this soul.

If my faith is to grow in its understanding of all things sacred—an understanding that issues from the wisdom and plans of Almighty God rather than my fragile attempts at the same—then I must be willing to lean into a deeper posture of trust.

What does that look like? Better still, how do I … how do we … get there?

King Solomon, rich in wisdom and with the pen to scribe accordingly, offers his voice in the matter.

“Acknowledge him.”

Acknowledge. The Hebrew verb Yada meaning “to know, to learn, to perceive, to discern, to experience, to confess, to consider, to know people relationally, to know how, to be skillful, to be made known, to make oneself known, to make to know.”[i]

To acknowledge the Lord is to simply and to profoundly know him. We lean into a better understanding and trust whenever we take the time to learn of our God, to consider his ways, and to discern his heart and mind in the many matters that fill ours with certain doubt and wavering belief.

To get there … to come to a knowing of our God … we must trust in the one resource that he has so amply provided for us. I’m currently looking at eight of them. Some opened up upon my bed; some waiting on the bookshelf for their turn.

Our Bibles—the living, breathing, and active Holy Word of God (Hebrews 4:12).

It matters not to Him what translation we read. We all host our own preferences. What matters to God is that we, in fact, read them. Ponder them. Find ourselves somewhere within the story which, in turn, always finds us in close proximity to the heart and mind of Father God.

Charles Spurgeon writes (in reference to Jesus Christ),

“He knew by His omniscience what was the most instructive way of teaching, and by turning at once to Moses and the prophets, He showed us that the surest road to wisdom isn’t speculation, reasoning, or reading human books, but meditation upon the Word of God. The quickest way to be spiritually rich in heavenly knowledge is to dig this mine of diamonds, to gather pearls from this heavenly sea. When Jesus Himself sought to enrich others, He worked in the quarry of Holy Scripture.”[ii]

Knowing God will never happen through accidental measure. Rather, it comes with the purposeful pursuit and with the intentional posture that is willing to enter into God’s classroom, where the only required textbook is the one that was written from his heart via the pen of man’s deliberate obedience.

If our paths are to be straight, if our trust is to be certain, if our bodies are to know the health and the nourishment of solid footing and sound theology, then we must be willing to walk contrary to our human nature. We must set aside our momentary need for instant understanding and, instead, rest upon the truth of God’s understanding.

Our wisdom will never exceed his. Our wisdom should be based on his, but even when wisdom seems a far reach—when answers remain at a distance and our doubts arise as to their certain arrival—we can know that our Father thinks with a greater understanding. An eternal knowledge that is timeless and void of the parameters that we so often seek.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to limit God’s work in my life. I don’t want the doubt that I currently hold in my hand to be the final word in the matter. I don’t want the answers just for the sake of having answers. Rather, I want to trust him for more. I want to know him more and to believe that with the knowing will come a wisdom that exceeds my current and very temporal way of looking at things.

An understanding that can, every once in a while, take a day off to enjoy the simple faith of child who isn’t worried about tomorrow, but instead, is frolicking in the embrace of winter’s gift. In the trust and belief, that snow angels and hot chocolate are the order of the day and that everything else will takes care of itself, in God’s time and in God’s way. Thus, I pray…

Give me the trust of a snow day, Father, when I can rest and enjoy the moment rather than worrying about the moments to come. Thank you for the gift of your Word that allows me to know you, thus finding my peace for the journey. I freely admit that I cannot understand the road ahead. I am frustrated by the unanswerables that have found their way into my hands. Give me the courage to place them into yours. Teach me the trust and certainty of a sacred leaning, and keep me at your feet until I pass the exam. May the treasures of your Holy Word be the rocks that build my solid and sure foundation for the season to come. Amen.


[i] Baker and Carpenter, entry for “Yada,” The Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003), 3038.
[ii] Charles Spurgeon, entry for “January 18,” Morning and Evening (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1995), 37.

Copyright © January 2009 – Elaine Olsen

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A Morning’s Brew…

There’s nothing like a good dose of confession served up with a warm cup of coffee to start a Monday morning. Thus, here’s mine (minus the coffee…you’ll have to pour that one on your own).

A few days ago, I wrote a post entitled “Let the Words of our Mouths.” A powerful piece, written from a deep well of conviction that awakened me in the early morning hours and called for my obedience. At the time, I thought little about the connection between the content of the piece and the corresponding pictures that I used to punctuate my point.

It wasn’t a good match, nor did I have my facts straight when I referred to the tree-trimming incident at our church and the discussion that was leveled concerning its future.

I may not have wounded others with my mouth, but I wounded with my pen. It was never my intention; nonetheless, it happened, and I am truly sorry for my failure to accurately communicate the stirring of my heart. Consequently, the piece has been edited to reflect my true intentions.

Do I still believe that the church at large (yours and mine combined) could use a heavy dose of agapao, 1 Corinthians 13, kind of love approach to how we do life together? You bet. We can always do it better—with more love, more Jesus, more of what matters to him and less of what matters to us.

And what matters to Him is authentic living for his kingdom’s sake. A portion of truth that visited me not long ago while washing my face. Perhaps you remember…

If you write conviction, Elaine, you’d better live conviction, or else be prepared for conviction to find its way to your table.

Conviction did … find its way to my table. And now we’re done. The coffee’s growing cold, and it’s time to push away from the table with the freedom and grace that is mine through the cross of Jesus Christ.

I want to be a servant in blogland. My pen belongs to God. Occasionally, there arises a tension between the two—my pen and God’s belonging. This has been one such occasion. I imagine that there will be more.

Thus, may God’s love and grace be my covering all the days of my life, and may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart always be found acceptable in his sight. That is the prayer of my heart this day. As always,

post signaturePS: Comments are closed on this post. I would, however, invite you to read yesterday’s penning if you haven’t already. I welcome your thoughts there. Shalom.

 

A Noble Stirring…

“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king;… Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear; Forget your people and your father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is you lord.” (Psalm 45:1, 10-11)
 What will you say to your King today? How will you honor him with your words?

It is your privilege to say them. To sing them. To write them. To cherish them.

As the bride of Christ, we are given access to his ears … his heart … his attention. This alone, sets him apart from any other “god” in the universe. Our God can be known, and we are delinquent in our pursuit of him when we refuse such access.

When we talk to God, we’re not talking into the air. We’re talking to the Lover of our souls—the one who knitted us together in our inmost and who breathed his proclamation of “goodness” on our behalf. There is nothing that we could bring to him that he cannot absorb. He is willing to receive our deepest secrets and our most tender pleas as though they already belonged to him.

That’s the way of the Bridegroom. He is the protector and keeper of our hearts. He is not surprised by our words, nor is he distressed by our requests. He simply and profoundly can handle it all.

Our God is…

the God of engagement.
the God of willing participation.
the God of unparalleled commitment.
the God who loves despite unloveliness.
the God who graces despite unworthiness.
the God who chooses us to be his bride.
the God who extends his arms, long and wide and high and deep to bridge the chasm between our pitiful estate and his majestic kingdom.

We are the priority of the King, and he has given us access to his throne.

Thus, what will you say to him today? How will you honor him with your heart?

It is your privilege to offer your voice in the matter.

Therefore, speak it boldly with all the confidence of heaven standing in your stead, knowing that your Groom has got you covered. He shed his blood to keep you covered—all the days of your life until you take his hand in yours and walk the aisle into your forever.

I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday than to be in prayerful pause before my King. Indeed, my heart is stirred by a nobler theme this day. Thus, I pray…

For your love and for your choosing of me, I honor you this day. I bring my rags and ask for a bride’s dressing. I bring my pain and ask for my Comforter’s heart. I bring my need and ask for my Provider’s provision. I bring my sin and ask for my Savior’s cleansing. I bring my confusion and ask for my God’s wisdom. I bring my prayers and ask for my Lover’s understanding. I bring my hands and ask for my Groom’s holding. I bring my life and ask for my kingdom crown. I bring it all today, to you my King, and ask for your favor, knowing that you are Faithful and True and that you delight in giving good gifts to your bride. My heart is stirred by your nobility and your willingness to allow me my share in your forever kingdom. Keep me mindful; keep me humble; keep me grateful for my noble bestowment. It is my privilege to sing your honor this day. Amen.

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Exemplify

Exemplify

Today, I want to direct you over to visit my blogging friend, California Kristen. I was first introduced to her through Indiana Kristen, thus, my reasoning for including their states with their names!

California Kristen has started a new website Exemplify Online. Hear now from her pen…

“The idea for Exemplify Online came to life over the course of last summer. During that season, I found myself dealing with an unquenchable boredom. I was desperate for a Godly challenge of some kind and knew I was only going to find it at the feet of Christ.

I had written a few months earlier about the lack of resources available to Christian women in the form of relevant, written media. I couldn’t believe the response! So many women felt the same. Sure, there are some great devotional sites and this awesome blog community but something was missing. I, and so many others, wanted content that is biblically sound, fun and a little more in depth than what was being offered.

Something like a magazine.

So, here we are. For whatever reason the Lord started breathing in me a desire to see this thing through. He blessed me with such talented writers who were willing to come aboard Exemplify’s team, joining the mission.

Our mission is simple really. It is our exclusive intention to encourage women to live lives that glorify and exemplify Christ’s name. We want to see hearts set on fire for Him.”

(-Kristen from Exemplify Online )

Kristen is not only a great writer but also hosts a creative mind that has allowed her vision to come to life in the form of her online magazine. I encourage you to hop over for a peek and to sign up for her monthly e-zine which will come to you in a downloadable format via your e-mail.

Thanks, Kristen, for your heart and your willingness to be a “scribe to our King” (sound familiar?). He is well-pleased with your penned obedience.

As always,

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Let the Words of our Mouths

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word of deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:15-17).

Been to a church council meeting lately? You may not call it as such, but if your heart and life revolves around the church, committee meetings and the like are common fare.

I’ve long since given up going to council meetings. Not because they are unimportant, but rather because emotions usually are the rule of the day rather than reason. And when emotions rule, words flow freely. I know. I was the reason behind Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:34:

“For out of the overflow of the heart a mouth speaks.”

Thus, I no longer attend. I have a very difficult time in keeping my tongue when others are liberally offering theirs in all matters. It doesn’t mean that I’m better than anyone; it simply means that I’m choosing not to enter the fray. And when you’re a preacher’s wife, that fray invariably involves the leadership or perceived lack thereof of said preacher husband.

We know the wounding of words. We’ve got the scars to prove it. And while some would say it comes with the job, I say otherwise.Words are never meant for the wounding. Instead, they are given to us as a gift from God for the teaching and admonishing of one another with the wisdom of heaven so as to bring about a peaceful unity amongst the body.

When words become our weapon rather than our encouragement, we’ve missed the mark. Not only as members of the human race, but more importantly as members of the kingdom of God. If we can’t level kindness and love within the walls of our own church … our lives will level as useless for God outside of those walls.

I’m not kidding; neither is God. He has called us to be…

His light (Matthew 5:14-15).

His temple (2 Cor. 6:16).

His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:19-20).

His ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19-20).

His kingdom carriers (Luke 17:20-21).

His new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).

His heirs (Romans 8:17).

When our passionate embrace of our well-intentioned causes—the carpet, the budget, the fellowship hall, the use of the building, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera—when our protection of these ideals becomes more important to us than the caustic words we level on their behalf, our light grows dim.

We are but a resounding gong and a clanging cymbal to a world that needs the contrast—the love of Jesus Christ pouring out through our mouths and with our actions because our hearts simply cannot contain their melody any longer. God’s song was meant to be sung through the likes of you and me, and when we can’t sing it in love, better to keep our mouths shut.

I’m not kidding; neither is God.

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish man, but fools die for lack of judgment.” (Proverbs 10:13).

“A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:23-24).

“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (James 1:26).

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t voice our passions. God created us as a passionate people, especially when it comes to “doing” the business of the church. But therein lies the rub. How do our notions of “church business” match up with God’s notions of the same? And while I don’t have the full understanding of God’s mind in the matter, I feel confident that he never intended for our inward “doings” to be oiled and greased by the rancor that is so readily spoken via our mouths.

When our impassioned “doings” and the defense of them accordingly becomes more important than the wounds we’re exacting along the way, time to sit down and re-examine our hearts beneath the illuminating light of God’s heart.

Then, and only then, do our words work for the better good. God’s good.For the building up of the kingdom and the sacred seeding of all things eternal. And those “things,” my friends, have nothing to do with carpet selection or building repairs. Rather, eternal things are rooted in the saving of a human heart.

I’m not kidding; neither is God. He sacrificed his own Son to prove his mind in the matter.

Thus, let’s get to it. Let’s stop the free flow of our caustic criticisms and allow the grace of Jesus Christ to be the seasoning from our lips that salts the world with the flavor of eternity. Thus, I pray…

Forgive me my words, Lord, when I am quick to offer them in matters that matter little to you. Instead, fill my mouth with your words of purpose and promise that fill rather than deflate. That restore rather than condemn. That illuminate rather than darken. That strengthen rather than weaken. May the heart of our churches reflect the heart of your grace, so that, indeed, your kingdom comes as intended—because of us, rather than around or in spite of us. Clean up our hearts with the redemption of Calvary and season our response with the sweet words of your song. We concede them both—our hearts and our lips—to your refining touch this day. Amen.
Copyright © January 2009 – Elaine Olsen

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