Posts Tagged ‘motherhood’

29 Apr

Quiet Resurrection Power

Posted by holymeetsordinary in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

dogwoodMy son and I stand at the curbside check-in outside of the airport. I stifle my tears as this lanky boy-man reaches down to give me a hug. I kiss him and feel his stubbly cheek press against mine, and feel as if I am in a time warp. It seems only a short while ago I fretted over a chubby boy with baby-soft cheeks who was timid, afraid of new situations, never wanting to leave my side, whose report cards said things like, “needs to work on becoming more independent.” Now he is flying back to college after being home for spring break – confident in finding his way around airports, taking taxis, and at home in his new city and his school. Although his laundry skills are still lacking, my son is becoming quite responsible. Of course, all of this is normal for a young man his age, but WHEN did the transformation take place? I worried about this boy in his early years—doubting—wondering if he would ever grow to be self-assured and independent. But God had his hand on my boy and was working in him the entire time. I like to refer to this work of God as quiet resurrection power.

I work in a church where I have a close-up view of both the pain and joys experienced by many. I see the raw sorrow and tragic-stricken faces when my fellow parishioners experience the death of a family member, the illness of loved one, or other tragedies that seem too heavy to bear. I trust in God, but sometimes it is hard to believe that such heartbreak will be lifted. Yet God is faithful, and in His time, I am privileged to see grief lines turn to laugh lines, abundance replacing emptiness, strength sprouting from sorrow. Because God has been at work transforming the dark times. Quiet resurrection power.

As I write these words, I am looking out of my window at dogwoods, azaleas, tulips, columbine, and more. I have very little to do with their faithful blooming each spring – but God has been busy filling my yard with His abundance.

Quiet resurrection power. These words came to me this past Easter morning as I was reading my Bible. It is curious to me that the most powerful event in the history of the universe occurred quietly. I often wonder what happened in the tomb of Jesus after his death and before he rose. If I were to write the script, I would have had the entire tomb explode, with flashes of lightening and loud shouts from heaven. But God’s strength often works gently and in the realm of the unseen. From the little scripture tells us, all seemed calm and orderly in that tomb. Jesus’s grave clothes were intact and neatly folded, as he silently laid aside death forever. The tomb remained undamaged, except for the large stone being rolled away. Angels were dispatched to tell those who were mourning about the Good News.

Quiet resurrection power. God is busy working even when hope seems absent and we feel defeated. Remember, He loves you and has His hand on you. Trust that He will work His quiet resurrection power in you and your loved ones.

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11

7 Mar

Crazy Wild Love

Posted by holymeetsordinary in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , .

I wrote this last May, but thought it would be appropriate during this Lenten season.

I do not like to iron. In fact, I rarely iron these days; shirts go to the cleaners, and I have become an expert at smoothiironingng out wrinkles by hanging items near a steamy shower—all to avoid ironing. I don’t like it, and I am not very good at it. But on this day in May, I stand before an ironing board with steam rising from a hot iron. Because it is the day of my first-born son’s graduation, and I am ironing his graduation gown.

The wrinkles are not yielding to the iron, so I spray with water to make them disappear. The gown is long and full, and the job is taking much longer than anticipated. As soon as I smooth out one section, I realize volumes of fabric still await my touch. I wonder if anyone will notice this gown is devoid of wrinkles when my son crosses the stage—surely not the eighteen-year-old for whom I am putting forth this effort. He would think the ironing unnecessary. Had it been up to him, he would have kept it in the box until minutes before graduation, insisting that no one would care about the creases in his gown. No, my son is not going to notice his well ironed gown or appreciate the time it has taken to make it look nice. But I care. I am his mother, and this act of ironing is only one of numerous behind-the-scenes tasks that I have done for him throughout his lifetime. You see, I fell in love with this boy before he was born, and I cannot help myself. I want him to look good when he crosses the stage on this special evening. Crazy love, wild love!

As I continue to iron, I wonder about the many behind-the-scenes gestures that our Lord does for us—kindnesses of which we may never be aware until we meet Him in eternity. Sometimes we notice—things like the colors of a sunrise or autumn leaves or perhaps insight given to us just when we need it or the comfort of a friend during a difficult time. But much of the time, I skip through life leaving many of God’s blessings unacknowledged.

I think about all Jesus has done for us—to make us acceptable before God and for eternity. We might think that we are good enough to enter God’s Kingdom—and we are—but ONLY because of Jesus’ sacrifice through His redemptive death on the cross. And having redeemed us, he doesn’t stop there; throughout our lives He continues to transform us. He smoothes out our creases and wrinkles to make us look good—to make us into the people He created us to be.

It makes you wonder why He would take the time to do these things His for children—often oblivious children who do not fully understand the sacrifice—children who take little notice of what He does for them. But, the truth is our Lord fell in love with you and me before we were born; He cannot help Himself. He wants us to look presentable when we cross over to God’s Kingdom—and He will do whatever it takes. And that’s crazy love, wild love.

5 Mar

Opening the Door

Posted by holymeetsordinary in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

closeddoor2Slam!! Slamming doors—a horrible sound, especially if you are a mother and your precious child has slammed his or her bedroom door—blocking you out—in effect saying ‘I want no more of you,’ at least for the moment.

When I was pregnant with my firstborn, I remember hearing mothers talk about this door-slamming phenomenon, and I smugly thought, this will never happen to me. I will be such a good mother; my child will never want to block me out.

Fast forward about eleven years: In the middle of a discussion, my sweet son becomes red-faced, stomps up the stairs, and I hear it: slam! Twice – just to make his intentions clear. I follow him upstairs and knock on his door. “Go away! Leave me alone!” is his only response. Heartbroken, I go downstairs, wishing he could understand that I only want what is best for him. About twenty minutes later I return, and I notice his door has been cracked open – about one inch. I open it a bit more and say, “May I come in?” With his head buried in his pillow, he nods and mumbles “Okay.” We do not come to a total agreement, but forgiveness, honesty, and love permeate his room that day.

We never slam the door on God – do we? Because we are adults and a bit more controlled, perhaps we don’t slam doors, but we might just close up doors – or build barriers against God’s best for us.

During Lent, I have been making an effort to practice what Henri Nouwen refers to as making space for God. He says, “We need to open up space in our lives, so we can listen and seek the fullness of the quiet.”

So I practice sitting in the quiet each morning, contemplating God’s goodness and listening to Him. What a lovely Lenten discipline, right? But sometimes during the quiet, I don’t like what I hear and find myself wanting to close the door to further growth in Him. Maybe I don’t want to overlook an offense or give up a resentment. Do I have courage to open the door to His light of patience, humility, and reconciliation?

Maybe our Lord is calling you or me to a new place – something good – but right now we don’t want to move out of our comfort zone, so we close the door, afraid of the impending changes.

Or maybe rather than believing God loves you and is pleased with you, instead you choose to hang on to old tapes from the past—telling yourself ‘I am not good enough, I am not loveable.’

No matter how many times we close the door, Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. He loves you, even when you don’t believe him. He wants the best for you. Open the door, make space for him, and if that seems too hard, muster up the courage to crack open the door an inch or so, and trust that he will come in and help you with the rest.