To Revel in Each New Day – Denise M Ford

To offer kind words from the strength of gentleness.

To send forth hope from a foundation of faith.

To rise up and serve, to encourage when others cannot.

To open minds and hearts to see beyond the one-dimensional perspective of reality.

To bless, by releasing the creative spirit that refuses to remain dormant within me.

As I sought to condense action statements to describe and delineate how I perceive the theme of my life, I sought relevant scripture to accompany my thoughts. The Lord did not disappoint. Even as I type those particular words I am struck, loudly and plainly struck by their message, “the Lord did not disappoint.”

Guided by His loving and faithful presence I paged to Philippians 2:1-5, where Paul speaks on the joy in serving.

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

Honestly, I do not achieve a daily determined mindset of Christ. I fall short every single day. My words, my actions, my discipline and my initiation fail miserably upon analysis of how and what I should have or could have done. But I still begin each new day seeking to serve and desiring to bring joy to others, through my spoken or written words.

In this spring of isolation and dormancy brought upon us by the treacherous Co-Vid 19 Virus, I literally unearthed a beautiful metaphor in the process of readying my planters to receive blooming flowers. As I pulled out the pieces of wood and twigs which I had placed in the porch pots for my winter arrangements, a lilac branch caused me to stop in mid-motion. A distinct clump of roots dangled from the bottom of the twig. As I looked closer, I laughed as I discovered several buds pushing forth from the other end. Despite being pruned at the end of fall, stuck into a container of cold and dank soil, covered by winter snow and battered by bitter winds; this twig had produced new life. In its winter dormancy it had managed to release a promise of hope for this particular spring.

Dormancy, it sometimes overwhelms us, and we are unaware of its hold on us. These past few months our world found itself plunked into quarantines and isolation in an effort to battle this virus. Yet like the twig sending forth new growth we now unearth our weary souls. We now rise up and renew our lives.

In May my church asked me to write a spoken word piece based on gratitude and praise despite this pandemic. After I wrote it, I realized it explicitly outlined for me ways to continue the theme of my life, especially at this time of struggle against the dormancy of these days. Below I offer some lines from “When the New Day Dawns.”

When the new day dawns I begin my reflection, responding to your glory, refining my thoughts to express my love to You.

As I revel in your presence settling over and through me, I accept your radiance, it surrounds and protects me.

Even as the words form, even as my praises rise up, I meet You here, in the dawning of this day.

I allow myself to be surpassed by your glorious presence, to be enfolded from within by your spirit of power.

I embrace this mighty determination not bounded by the ground of uncertain and fearful thought.

Words no longer stay silent, words no longer remain restrained, words simply pour through me forming and expressing adoration.

Your refuge, your peace, your blessing.

As this new day dawns, I revel in it.

I gather my broken distorted crushed spirit and let the searing light of your refinement mold and fit me anew.

So, I begin to step into this new day.

This dawning of life restructuring and falling together,

 amidst social distancing, among creative masking, within boundaries and without controls, within respectfulness and without recklessness.

When the new day dawns I begin my reflection, responding to your glory, refining my thoughts to express my love to You.

Not leaving the encampment of your presence but revelling in it.

Taking note of the words that pour forth, over and through my lips to praise and gratefully acknowledge You.

You meet me as this new day dawns. My words no longer held back, no longer contained.

As this new day dawns, I begin my reflection, while your glory glides and settles over me, surrounded by your protection promises and your guidance within me.

You may wonder, what happened to that dormant yet vibrant twig? My husband planted it in a new garden patch. May it offer inspiration and encouragement as it rises up to bless our home and others as we invite them to share and partake in the joy of being together again.

Had a chance to revel in the beauty of the Rockies near Calgary...Kananaskis 

Murphy's Law to Peniel - by Linda Aleta Tame

It all started in the airport in Minot, N.D.  My flight to Phoenix was leaving at 9:30 p.m., but I arrived five hours early (long story).  I had my MacBook Pro with me, so I had something to do during my wait.  Check-in staff assured me I'd find a snack shop in the gate area, so I went through customs clearance, found a quiet spot for myself and settled in.

A couple hours later, my MacBook was running out of battery, there was nowhere to plug it in and I was hungry.  I was dismayed to discover the snack shop closed precisely fifteen minutes earlier.  Surely I'd find a vending machine, I thought, but no, there was only a drink machine which would not accept my U.S. bills.  I gave my most pleading expression to the customs officer to request change, or maybe a quick return to the check-in area where I could see machines brimming with sandwiches and chips, but that was not going to happen.  Okay, I thought, this is a First World problem.  I will survive.  Water will be served on the flight.  I finally got up to board the delayed flight at 11:00 p.m., and it was then I saw the plug-in for my MacBook, a few hours too late.

I'm learning that what once were expectations, should now be considered wishes or better, prayer requests.  The flight attendant said, "Two dollars."  With my eyes fixed on the water bottle, I handed her my U.S. bills.  "We don't accept cash," she responded, so I decided to thirst and hunger another three and half hours, because my debit/credit card was in the overhead compartment. After finally arriving in warm beautiful Phoenix, I recovered with a light snack, water and sleeping, but perhaps from the hours of sitting or the twenty hours of sleeping, I now had a severe stabbing pain in my hip.

Okay, Lord, I think you're trying to get my attention, I thought.  I took my green juice out to the patio, and relaxed into the embrace of my heavenly Father.  What's going on, I asked?  The first thought that came to me was Jacob in Genesis 32:22-32.  Jacob, who wrestled with an angel, Jacob whose hip was badly wrenched.  In verse 31, he received a new walk.  As Edward K. Pousson says in his article Bethel to Peniel, "Nobody struts into the Kingdom."  In verse 28, Jacob received a new name, a new identity.  He was transformed from Jacob to Israel, from "just me" to "commUNITY."  Also in verse 31, when the sun rose upon him, he received a new day, a new beginning.  All this newness in a time of loneliness and discomfort, and Jacob named the place of his transformation "Peniel," which means "face to face with God."

 

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, Eugene Delacroix

Image from Free Christ Images

 

The following Sunday, I found a wonderful church near our home in Phoenix.  It's called "New Life!"  I love how God works, don't you?

It's hard to put into words how much these thoughts meant to me.  It wasn't because of my unfortunate airport and flight experience, or because of my painful hip.  Those were only preparatory for my encouraging Peniel encounter.  The significance was that my spirit was longing to hear from the One who makes all the difference in my life. My spirit was longing for fresh revelation, for transformation.  I've written before about my long dark journey, a time of introspection, reflection and spiritual bewilderment.  The emerging process seems long too, but it's so rich and valuable.  It's essential. 

Reading about Jacob in Bethel to Peniel by Edward K. Pousson gave me incredible comfort, inspiration and hope.  I hope you'll read it too.

A Song in the Morning - Janet Sketchley

As a little girl, I used to bounce out of bed early, chattering and ready to play. Somewhere all that changed. Most days in my adult life have started with resentful thoughts toward the alarm clock and an excruciating crawl out of sleep’s warm embrace into a cold and dreary morning. At least that’s how it feels, even in July with sunshine and birdsong.

I’ve dreaded waking up, dragging into another day’s responsibilities with insufficient energy and less joy. Somewhere on the planet are people who spring wide awake and alert, fully rested and eager to get going. If you’re one of them, congratulations but please don’t tell me.

Occasionally I wake knowing something exciting waits in the day: a trip, or any of the days I’m at Write! Canada. I’m still low-energy, but it’s easier to get moving because I look forward to what’s waiting.

Once, I woke feeling happy. Must have had a lovely dream. Dreams that encourage me spiritually or suggest intriguing stories let me wake with more cheer, as do the mornings when there’s a song in my head before the radio comes on.

I notice the music connection even more since CBC Radio 2 changed its format. Without the gentle classical music that used to comfort me in the waking, things have gotten harder.

Not long ago, I woke one morning with a worship song drifting through my mind and something finally clicked. I thanked God for the song, for how it made it easier to accept being awake. And that night I asked Him to please do it again.

He did.

Each night I ask, and each morning there’s part of a worship song to smooth my transition into the day. Focusing on the lyrics instead of just coasting on the tune brings me into God’s presence to start the day with Him.

I can’t say I look forward to mornings yet, but the dread is gone.

God is good.

© Janet Sketchley, 2008
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.