Happy Tuesday!  Did you know that the shortest distance between two people is a smile?  Just a fun fact for you to try out today.  A smile is universal and understood by people at any age and from all walks of life.  It can transform a face and a room all at the same time.  A smile can serve to help both self and others.  It can mark the start of a friendship or the start of your day.  Smile, it does a heart good.  God has blessed us with so many gifts, and the ability to smile may be one of His best. 

“A glad heart makes a cheerful face…”

Proverbs 15:13 (ESV)

A smile reflects what is in the heart.  It is the outward expression of joy.  Now there are different types of smiles such as the polite, how-do-you-do quick smile, and the sarcastic, “Are you kidding me?” smile.  What I am talking about is the simple yet genuine smile that lights up a face and says, howdy! This is the kind of smile that possesses great potential to win friends and influence people.

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”

Proverbs 31:25 (ESV)

Now there are days when the effort to smile is just more than you can bear.  I get it.  Trying to attempt a smile at those times is just false advertising.  It is during these times that we look for a smile to lean on.  The smile from a friend says, I understand and I’m here for you.  Smile.  The expression that says it all while not saying a word. So go ahead and try it.  It doesn’t cost a thing, and yet it’s worth its weight in gold. 

“Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

Psalm 34:5 (ESV)

As a nursing professor, my job entails helping students to understand and connect concepts related to human functioning.  One of the most basic of all concepts is that of oxygenation.  Oxygen is essential for life down to the minute cells that make us who we are.  Just thinking about how complex the human body is always leaves me in awe of God’s power.  And yet, he simply “breathed life” into man and from dust was created one of the most complex systems known on earth.

“then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

Genesis 2:7 (ESV)

God made us from the breath that He breathed out, and we, made in His image, need to breathe in what He, the creator, breathed out.  Just stop and think about that for a minute.  What we breathe out is not sustainable to any living human.  What we breathe out is a combination of carbon and oxygen – the byproducts of metabolism in the body.  What God breathes out is not only sustainable, but essential to our lives. 

“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

Job 33:4 (ESV)

The breath of God continues to sustain us through His word.  Taking the time to sit down and listen to what He has to say to us serves as a resuscitation of the soul.    

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 150:6 (ESV)

2020… it seems just a minute ago we were all holding our breath at 11:59 pm, 1999 on the brink of Y2K when the world was going to end. And then it didn’t. Whew. Now, all of a sudden, in what seems like a blink, it’s 20 years later. The years have a way of going faster the older we get. The anticipation of a new year has most of us wondering what the coming months will bring. We hope for something better than the previous year and set our sights on making positive changes. However, do we stop to think about how to embrace the day in front of us? We think about planning for our futures, but are we missing today in the planning? As I was writing my goals for the new year and thinking about future plans, I found myself becoming impatient that I couldn’t just hurry up and get to the end to see how it turns out. I must admit that one of my character flaws is wanting to know the end before I begin – will the journey be worth my time? Will it have a good outcome? God doesn’t always allow us to see the full picture of how things will come together. Sometimes all we get to see is a piece of the puzzle. Rahab certainly had no idea that she would be listed in the genealogy of Jesus! (Matthew 1:5) Learning to enjoy the journey is just as valuable as setting a plan to get there.

One of my goals for this year is to recognize and appreciate the blessings of the day. We realize the value in this as we read in the Old Testament how the Lord provided for the needs of His people daily. In Exodus 16, manna from heaven was provided as a daily blessing to the Israelites while they were in the desert. They had to learn to lean on and trust God daily. If they collected more than a day’s worth of manna, they woke up to a smelly, worm infested set of leftovers – yuck! In the New Testament, this sentiment is echoed within the model prayer that Jesus prayed, “Give us each day our daily bread…” (Luke 11:3). In Luke 12 Jesus reinforces this idea when he tells the disciples that God is aware of their daily needs.

²² “Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!’”

Luke 12:22-24 (ESV)

I cannot fathom the power and grace of God to know each of our daily needs, but I am so glad that He does.  The ability to make plans for the future is only made possible through the blessings of today.  May we always remember that what we have in front of us is enough.

³³ “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)

It’s funny how our brain makes memories.  Sometimes the ordinary moments are the moments that you remember the most.  When I was a teenager, behind our subdivision was a long gravel road.  In the evenings, my mom and I would take long walks down that road.  It was along this road that we talked about life.  Nothing that I can exactly remember, but the feeling that I experience every time I remember those walks is a memory that I will always cherish.  This memory got me to thinking about all the steps in life that we take and the paths that we travel.  Some steps are intentional and measured such as the steps we take to achieve our goals.  I can remember the long walk from my dorm room to each of my classes during my college days.  Other steps are full of wonder and excitement such as the steps I took that were full of promise as I made my way down the aisle towards the love of my life.  And then there are the steps we take that lead down the path to eternity.  Steps. 

When Jesus came to earth, his steps took him down many paths.  He found his way into a wedding feast, along a sycamore tree, and eventually towards the cross.  He took a walk along a gravel road with two friends from Emmaus.  He took intentioned steps to achieve his goal of fulfilling his father’s will when he walked along the sea of Galilee calling his disciples, and the great love he had for us guided his steps from the Garden to the cross. 

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

I Peter 2:21 (ESV)

Steps.  Small moments in time marked in history by our memories.  I will never forget the moment when my steps took me to the baptistry to connect my life with Christ.  It was these steps that were the most important of all.  In that moment my life intersected with His and never again was my journey a solo one. 

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9 (ESV )

Steps.  Where do your steps take you?  The millions of steps we take each day make up the picture of our life.  We must remember that they are finite and have the potential to leave impressions in the lives of others.   

“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way…”

Psalm 37:23 (ESV )

Have you ever just had one of those days?  You know, you spill coffee on your favorite shirt, stub your toe on the coffee table and then find out that you missed paying the electric bill when you pick up the mail and see the disconnect notice.  Ugh!  Seriously?!  You make it through these minor inconveniences because your favorite verse is Romans 8:28.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (ESV)

You wonder what good could have possibly come from this day, but Proverbs 3:5-6 tells me not to lean on my own understanding.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (ESV)

So okay Lord, here I go trusting you.  Well then you have a good week followed by a relatively uneventful good month and you think, “Hey, I’m really doing good here.  Things are going my way.” Then Wham! You run face first into the wall of life and this time it’s more than a minor inconvenience.  It’s the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one or the loss of a love.  The sticking place. How do we continue to weather the storms we encounter?  As I have considered this the only answer I can think of is… the sticking place.  This is the place where our faith is bigger than our fear.  Our fear of loss and failure.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

Each of us eventually get there.  Some take longer than others, but we all come to a point in our lives that roots us firmly.  For the Christian the sticking place should be the hope that we have in our Savior.

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Romans 8:24-25 (ESV)

Shakespeare coined the term, “Screw your courage to the sticking place”. I love the notion that there is a place within each of us that paradoxically creates a passion to rise up while providing a shelter of solace.  The sticking place.  The place that my soul clings to and comes back to.  The place that I carry with me and measure all else against.  The place that brings me peace, courage, and strength. The sticking place… the cross.

Measuring my parenting by the things I couldn’t give my kids was a trap that I readily fell into on occasion. I wish I could have given them that big wooden toy thing in the backyard or taken them to Disney or on an iconic NYC trip. The list is long of how I thought things should have gone during the raising years. The reality of life though was dancing in the living room to silly songs and being happy with watching movies and eating popcorn. It was in the car with my oldest daughter on the way to her first year of college that I finally learned that the measuring stick I had been using was a faulty one. During the drive, I was trying to make sure that she had every last bit of wisdom that I could think of. You know, those little things like separate your darks from your lights. When I was finished spewing irrelevant tidbits to her I just looked at her and said, “I hope you had a good childhood.” She looked back at me and said, “Mom, it was the best.” At that moment the floodgates just opened. The years had gone so fast, and I wasn’t ready to let go yet. But it was time. In that moment, I realized that what I thought she had missed out on in life was not what really mattered. All of the material things I had measured my parenting by were not the things my daughter needed in order to develop into the strong and beautiful person that she had become. Would she have loved to have played on a big wooden toy in the backyard or gone on a fun Disney trip? Of course! And I would have loved to have given them to her. However, what I realized in the car that day is that I had spent countless hours wasting time on worrying about what I couldn’t give her instead of celebrating what I did. Strength of character doesn’t come from an easy life. It comes from having to figure things out and learning to be content with the blessings in front of you.

As we seek to give God the glory in our daily walk, our path is not always smooth. Our measuring stick of success is often redefined through our failures as we are forced to stretch and grow. However, God is faithful and using Him as our measuring stick in life will help to keep us both grounded and focused on what is important.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)

This summer our daughter got married. Lord willing, there will be grand babies in the future. I know I will spoil them, and they will be loved immensely. However, it might not be such a bad thing if they didn’t get the metaphorical big wooden toy in their backyard.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

There are four stones that sit on the corner of my desk.  They found their way there one summer evening following a vacation bible school lesson.  As things often do, they got covered up in the pile of knick knacks and papers there.  When I finally sat down to declutter my space I ran across the stones again.  As I thought about what to do with them I began to think of the lesson they represented.  The great faith of David as he stood against the giant.  Through the eyes of a child the story is one of wonder and awesomeness. 

^“Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.’”  

I Samuel 17: 45 (ESV)

Through my adult eyes, the story still holds wonder and awesomeness, but the application of it hits closer to home now.  While we have no fear of literal giants trampling us, we do face fears of giant proportion sometimes.  These figurative giants come disguised as fear, insecurity and worry.  Satan uses them to keep us from reaching for our rock – Jesus.

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” 

Matthew 16: 13-18 (ESV)

Jesus had been dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees and their demand for a sign as proof of who he was.  No matter what Jesus said, they would not believe him.  Jesus knew that the cross was drawing near and he needed to begin to prepare the disciples for the persecution that was to follow.  It was important that they had a firm foundation to stand on in his absence.  Peter’s confession of faith is one of the most notable points in Jesus’ ministry and should be the foundation on which we also stand.  From David’s stone to Peter’s “rock”, may our faith remain firm and unmovable as we face the giants of this world.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” 

Matthew 7:24 (ESV)

Public Service Announcement for the Gillson family:  We are closed to any major life events for the next year.  Ha!  Wouldn’t it be great if you could put a “time-out” on life for a moment?  Just time enough to catch your breath before the next major thing comes along.  Over the past few years I’ve gotten the impression that God must see me as a champion weight lifter because the load of stress I’ve been feeling has been building up my spiritual muscles big time.  Serving God in the good times is easy, but when we are faced with having to walk through the valleys of life do we serve Him with equal commitment?  It is something to be considered.  Our goal should be to remain steadfast in our love for God and to please Him in both the valleys and the hilltops. Keeping some foundational thoughts in mind can help direct our path.

• Pray – to seek patience and wisdom as well as praise God – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

• Look for opportunity – to grow in your faith – 2 Timothy 2:15, James 2:18

• Encourage others – sympathize and empathize – I Thessalonians 5:11, I Corinthians 12:25-26

• Accept – that God has our best interest in mind – Romans 8:28

• Serve – to show God’s love – 1 Peter 4:10, Galatians 5:13

• Expect –  that our prayers are heard and answered – 1 John 5:14-15

Serving God during the hard times works to build our endurance and draws us closer to God as we realize our need for Him.  If life were all hilltops and no valleys we would never fully appreciate the beautiful landscape of His love. 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

James 1:2-4 (ESV)

Kerplunk!  I splashed right in the water.  I was walking atop the waters of faith.  I had my eyes focused on Jesus.  The waters were calm and it seemed to easy.  Then all of a sudden the waves starting hitting my feet and the winds began to roar.  Before I knew it, my eyes drifted to the chaos around me and I faltered and fell like Peter.

“…So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind,he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

Matthew 14: 29-30 (ESV)

I was up to my eyeballs in the water and floundering about.  I was so disappointed with myself.  I wanted to think that I could pass the test, I could stay atop the water no matter what.  However, I was quickly reminded of my humanity and my desperate need of a Savior. 

^“Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.”

Matthew 14: 31-32 (ESV)

I often find myself identifying with Peter.  My desire is to do God’s will, but my humanity often interferes.  I find my voice with Peter’s as I deny my need for Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75).  No, I can do it myself.  No, I do not need help.  No, I’m fine.  It is at that moment that I begin to sink in the water.  I am so thankful that I have a Savior who is in control of the storm (Mark 4:35-41).  Every day, I strive to stay atop the water.  I’m sure that I will fall again, but I also know that I have a Savior who loves me and is with me in the water.

“… for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we can confidently say,‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV)

“I am so tired.  What an exhausting week this has been.”  Sound familiar?  If you’re a mother, father, brother, sister, friend, grandparent, or breathing then it should.  Tired.  It’s a feeling that eventually catches up with us.  The Bible has often compared our lives to a race. 

^“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:14 (ESV)

The thoughts of a race usually invoke an image of a competition pitting competitors against one another.  However, for the Christian, it’s not a matter of being the “best”, but a matter of finishing the race.  A race run towards the prize of heaven.

 ^“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

II Timothy 4:7 (ESV)

 In our humanness we often neglect our bodies in our pursuit of getting the job done.  We may not eat as good as we should and forget that Chick-fil-A is really not a food group.  We may not get enough sleep and begin to believe that three power naps substitute for a good night’s sleep.  As we think about our spiritual race it’s the same.  We try to stay engaged on the surface but are we depleting our spiritual bodies?  Sitting in the pew on Sunday is not a substitution for our personal time spent connecting with God through his Word and through prayer.  Disciplining our minds to seek after Him takes practice and commitment.  I am speaking to myself most of all as I strive to fit all my self-appointed tasks into my day.  When my race is done, I want to know that my prize will be the voice of the Father saying “Well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23)

^24 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”

I Corinthians 9:24-25 (ESV)