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Posted on April 22, 2021 by beverlyeash

There is an idiom that interests me. An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of it’s words. For instance, over the moon has nothing to do with the moon or going over it. Rather it refers to a feeling of extreme delight and happiness. Hit the hay doesn’t have anything to do with farming but rather it indicates an individual is going to bed.

The idiom running through my head today is “nothing grows in a vacuum.” When said, one is not referring to a household machine that sucks dirt and grime off floors and out of carpets. Nor is one talking about growth, such as plants, happening inside the suction of said household appliance.

It simply means that growth does not happen in isolation without connection or interaction with people, places or actions. For instance, if I want to grow in my love for others that will not happen in isolation. I have to actually rub shoulders with other humans. There has to be the opportunity to not love in order to love. The same is true for every fruit of the spirit. They can’t grow in isolation. Or as the saying goes, growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

The last year has been odd for many reasons. For introverts, like me, staying home was not that difficult. I missed social interactions at a certain level, but nothing like my extrovert friends who thrive on people. “A little dab’ll do ya” aptly describes my social needs.

As my community is opening up and there is more face-to-face interaction, I realize how little time I have spent the last year being annoyed with other humans. How could I be? I am not around them.

That also means I did not get to practice my skills of making allowance for the faults of others (Colossians 3:13) or thinking of others better than myself or taking an interest in someone beside myself (Philippians 2:3-4).

Basically, isolation put growth on hold. At least in relating to those outside my family bubble. There were areas that the Spirit worked on in me that didn’t require the rubbing of shoulders with others. Now I have the chance to practice those skills in real life situations.

When my daughter was in nursing school, she practiced techniques on machines meant to look, act, feel and respond like humans. But they weren’t humans. At the end of the day, if she killed the robot due to human error and carelessness, it didn’t matter. Her grade might have suffered, but it didn’t involve a human life.

For ten years she has practiced her skills on real live human beings. It matters if she makes a mistake. Not all mistakes are fatal, but she still has the constant awareness that this is a human life.

My point is this: I won’t grow by reading, memorizing, studying or meditating on being loving, kind, generous, patient, etc. I can learn in my head what it looks like but until I practice it on another human being in a real life situation, I won’t grow in that skill. I don’t like to fail. Some days, I don’t even like to do hard things. It is on those days that I wish for quarantine.

But that isn’t what we were created for — we were created for relationship, not only with other humans but with our Creator. It is in rubbing shoulders, encountering others with all their messy weirdness that we are transformed to look more and more like Christ.

17For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

17For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

I don’t know who this is for today. Maybe just for me. Whoever you are, you’ve got this! Your present trouble is small and won’t last long but it is producing the best qualities in you and those will last forever!

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Posted on April 21, 2021 by beverlyeash

Suddenly. It describes events that take place quickly and unexpectedly. They can be both wonderful and tragic; overwhelming and welcome; exciting and terrifying. From experience, a driver running a red light and crashing into the side of my vehicle is tragic and terrifying. It changes a person for many years.

One of the Greek words translated “suddenly” is aphno which means unawares, unexpectedly and appears only three times in the New Testament. There are other appearances of the English word “suddenly” but are translations of a different Greek word.

One appearance of aphno is in the account of Paul’s shipwreck on the island of Malta. While building a fire, he is bitten by a poisonous snake and the people expected him to suddenly swell up and die. When he didn’t, they decided he was a god.

Take a moment to read the other two, noting the similarities.

 2Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.

Acts 2:2

26Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!

Acts 16:26

While I would love to sit and hear your observations of these two passages, that’s not possible. (Feel free to comment or send me an e-mail if you’d like.) Both of these verses refer to an unexpected and immediate move of God in some way. In the first, it is the anointing of the Holy Spirit falling on the fledgling church gathered after Jesus’ ascension. The second occurs when Paul and Silas are imprisoned for preaching.

The fact that God moved is not what primarily interests me. It is what was happening before this suddenly occurred. Were the participants focusing on God intervening or something else? Did God move in response to their activity or independent of it? Perhaps the context provides a clue and some direction for life in this century.

14They all met together and were constantly united in prayer . . . 1On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place.

Acts 1:14; 2:1

25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 

Acts 2:25

As I read and reread these passages, it is apparent to me that prayer and praise moved God. I don’t believe God is sitting in heaven tapping his foot waiting for me to “act right” before he moves. But obviously there is something that happens when we pray and praise. Is it in me or in the heavenlies or . . . ?

I don’t pretend to know but I was challenged in a fresh way to consider my ways. Am I turning to prayer or to despair? Am I filled with praise or pouting? Am I missing out on the sudden move of God in my situation?

Let me be clear — I don’t believe this is a formula. I like formulas, especially with God. If I do A and B then C will follow. But there are no formulas with God. He loves us and he sees all things and he moves in ways that are best for me in every situation. He doesn’t follow a formula.

At the same time, it is obvious to me that praise and prayer were followed by a sudden move of God. I’m still pondering this, but for now I will praise God in the midst of all the ways I want to see him move suddenly!

Will you join me?

4You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done. 5O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts.

Psalm 92:4-5

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Posted on April 19, 2021 by beverlyeash

Sunday afternoon Dave and I sat on the deck waiting for friends to come and go for dinner with us. As I sat with my face toward the sun soaking up the late afternoon rays, I remembered that I needed to write this post. Knowing we were leaving soon, I expressed my consternation to Dave that I hadn’t decided what to write yet. He was very helpful so this post is dedicated to him! Thanks for the inspiration, Dave!

8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

Spring is a time of awakening. Winter is past, the days are longer, the air warmer. Underground, roots are awakening, preparing to send new growth up through the dirt to reach the sun.

In our yard, we have a lot of plants that come back year after year. Hostas, ferns, astilbes, grasses, sedum, bleeding hearts . . . all disappear with the cold of winter. For a while, our landscaping looks barren and gray.

Last week as I cleaned the leaves out of the landscaping beds in our yard, I thought about how unimaginative and drab the beds looked. As I worked, I called to mind what it would look like in just a few weeks when the new growth was visible. Everything beneath the trees will be covered in the green, purple and yellow hues of the summer plants. Transformation happens almost overnight as the days warm up.

Life sometimes takes a winter hibernation season. It’s so easy in the winter season to focus on what is not rather than what is coming — SPRING! I encourage you to fix your thoughts, not on the death of winter, but on what is growing in the soil of your heart. Think on things that are positive, pure, lovely, true, right, admirable. Focus on what is excellent and worthy of praise. Winter is nearly passed; spring is breaking through!

This is true, not only in nature, but in your life as well. Remember, not all growth happens at the same rate. Some of my plants are several inches tall; others have barely started sending up new shoots. Be patient, put into practice what is true and the peace of God will surround you.

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Posted on April 16, 2021 by beverlyeash

Restoration is an interesting project. The building is already there with elements that will stay. Some of what was in the cabin has been removed; there are still a few cabinets to remove before putting in anything new.

There is also a lot happening in the project that absolutely cannot be seen and does not change one thing about the way the cabin currently looks. Electric is being worked on; the well is already there but a pump needs to replace the hand pump currently installed. Countertop is selected, bathroom fixtures chosen, gas fireplace on hold. All of that is finished. It just can’t be seen. Looking at the cabin leads one to believe that nothing has changed. Behind the scenes, everything is changing.

Physical renovation of the cabin closely parallels the renovation I experienced in other areas of my life. It seems I prayed and prayed for change without seeing much difference. As a matter of fact, it seemed the situation grew worse – more tension, stress and disruption. It appeared that everything that existed need to be dismantled in order to put it back together in a healed and orderly way.

As I ponder the scripture from Colossians (see the other posts from this week), my heart breaks for those who are in the stages of restoration where nothing seems to be changing. All the tension still exists – it may even be worsening.

One thing I am sure about and I want to encourage you with today is that God is moving. He is dismantling strongholds, removing barriers, exposing rotten character and bringing new life to dead and decaying spaces. It might not seem like anything is happening, but the details are being arranged. Foundations are being laid, power restored! Pray on, my friend, pray on!

26And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 

Romans 8:26-28

This song has been catching my attention the last while. I think it will encourage you too!

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Posted on April 15, 2021 by beverlyeash

12Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:12-14

In the morning – as nearly all people – I choose what to put on for the day. I admit, the last year I have worn more leggings and t-shirts than in previous years. More recently, I turn to other areas of my closet … jeans, sweaters, dresses. I even spend time applying a bit of make-up before I go out.

Just as I choose what clothes to put on, I choose the character qualities I put on. Paul’s words to the Christians in Colosse spoke to me today. He advises that we clothe ourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. But what happens when I slip up in those areas? What if my kindness gets a hole in the knee or my patience is a bit wrinkly? Have I failed?

Nope! He says we should make allowance for that in others. I’m not always going to get it right. As a matter of fact, even as I write this, I haven’t gotten it right today. I can think of at least three people that I apologized to for words quickly spoken, an unkindness or un-gentleness. I didn’t set out to do those things. It just happened.

As much as I need them to forgive me when I am offensive, I want to practice forgiving others who offend me. I want to make allowance for the faults of others. It doesn’t mean I excuse the behavior; I just remember that I, too, make mistakes.

Perhaps you offended someone or are offended by someone. Either way, how can you make allowance for the faults of others? Does it help to remember that you have been forgiven, so forgiving others is the next right step?

As an overcoat today, put on love. Love for God, love for yourself and love for others!

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Posted on April 14, 2021 by beverlyeash

1I wait quietly before God,for my victory comes from him. 2He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2

Hurdles.

I never tried to run the hurdles in the years I experimented with track and field.

Sprints and relays were my go to events. Straight forward, simple, achievable — and all that without harming my body.

Never have I ever been fond of activities that put my body in danger of being scuffed, bruised, bent or broken. In volleyball practice, sliding across the floor to hit the ball was my least favorite drill. Hurdles seemed to be a close second.

There is nothing wrong with running sprints and nothing right about choosing hurdles. It’s my reason that needs examining. I didn’t want to run hurdles because they didn’t seem safe. In short, they seemed too hard.

I didn’t consider that hurdles were a process, something that needed to be learned and explored. The coach provided necessary instruction on form, ensuring proper technique before allowing an individual to compete in the event. I didn’t get that far — I just didn’t want to do it.

Today I was sharing with a friend some personal struggles of the last few months. I finished by saying I was glad God is gracious, kind and slow to anger. Moving on is difficult, uncertain, dangerous. When I want life to be linear, straightforward, dependable, predictable — like a sprint — it seems more like hurdles — short sprints and then an obstacle.

I’m grateful for the consistency of God’s character. He waits for me to be ready to ask hard questions and then is faithful to carefully instruct me in the next steps of healing and wholeness.

Perhaps you, too, face obstacles and hurdles. Join me as I wait patiently for God to instruct me in this adventure of clearing hurdles and learning to use obstacles as stepping stones across rivers of adversity.

5Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. 6He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

Psalm 62:5-6

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Posted on April 13, 2021 by beverlyeash

12How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 13Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. 14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:12-14

A healing journey is foolishness to some, an enigma to others and the road to freedom for others. Simply explained, it is uncovering the hidden things in my heart: the lies I believe, the behaviors I adopt to protect me, the wounds inflicted and the path of healing.

In order to begin this journey of healing, one must be painfully honest with self. There was a point in my own journey I realized my responses to the inquiries of others was always negative. I sounded like a bad country song. The one where the dog dies, the pickup breaks down, the girlfriend runs away and the whole town is against him.

It wasn’t that I wanted to always be down and out, I just didn’t know what else to say. It was if I was obligated to be struggling with something, so that is what I reported to those who asked. I adopted a victim mentality.

I know people like that. No matter where they are or what they experience, it could be better. What needs to change?

If I start with the obvious, my words needed to change. Although it felt artificial to make something up, I knew I was driving people away with my constant Debbie Downer attitude. How do I change the words?

Scripture makes it obvious that my words are an overflow of what is in my heart. Jesus said it like this:

16“Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17“Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

Matthew 15:16-20

The place to focus my efforts wasn’t on my words. It was on my heart. What was happening in there that made my words so depressing? It was my thoughts and my thoughts were directly related to what I believed about myself, God and others. That is where I needed to start.

Perhaps you, too, find yourself spewing negativity even when you don’t want to. Don’t worry about changing your words. Focus first on what is happening in your heart. What recordings play through your mind on repeat? Who is speaking to you? What are you believing about yourself, God or others? Is it true? What lies do you need to replace with truth?

This journey of healing takes a long time and it isn’t one to undertake alone. If you feel ready to explore it, find someone who will go with you. You will never regret it!

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Posted on April 12, 2021 by beverlyeash

Sunday evening we had a farewell party at the only house my children have ever known as “Grandma and Grandpa’s house.” When my mother-in-law moved into assisted living, she sold the house to our daughter who was getting married that year. I have always loved the house; there is a spirit of peace and safety on it. Our daughter and her family lived there for ten years so this will be a bittersweet week as we move them out and help them transition to something different.

Enjoying the last evening of playing with my granddaughters at this place, I took them outside to the swings. As we walked out the door and to the grass, Finley stopped, put her hands on her hips and looked around in amazement. She said, “What happened? Who put all these flowers in our yard? I have to show Mommy!” And she returned to the house to get her mom.

In the same voice of awe, Finley showed her mom the flowers in the yard exclaiming of their unexpected beauty in this place. She also noticed the garden had grown up with flowers too! Her amazement and delight were contagious.

No one else saw what Finley experienced. Oh sure. We saw the same flowers — dandelions and wild violets. But we weren’t amazed and delighted. We all thought the weed kill wasn’t working very well.

I will say, her excitement was contagious. Soon we were picking bouquets of the violets and some early primrose to take in the house.

Tonight, as I experienced Finley’s delight and surprise at all the flowers in the yard, receiving them as a special gift, I was challenged to consider my perspective. Too often I see interruptions or inconveniences as weeds in my day. These are things to be avoided, not applauded. What do I miss because I can’t allow the weeds to be a special gift of beauty? Do I wonder who sent these beautiful interruptions or growl about them?

Consider the inconveniences that pop up in your day. If your perspective changed just a little bit, could there be beauty there?

27“Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Luke 12:27-28

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Posted on April 9, 2021 by beverlyeash

It is Thursday evening and I am sitting down for the first time all day. It’s been a busy day with my grandchildren, children and life. I am tempted to force myself to come up with something clever for tomorrow. And then I decided not to. I’m not the only one that has days like today. I want you to know that it is normal to get to the end of the day and be spent.

Rather than attempt to make you believe my life is so orderly that I always have time to get everything done, I am going to modify tonight. This week I listened to two songs that really spoke to me. The first one is entitled, “Be Kind to Yourself.” It gave me the courage to forego a longer post tonight.

The second is entitled, “The Father’s House,” and is an expression of yesterday’s post. We are blameless before God so shame has no place in the Father’s house! I hope you enjoy one or both of these songs!

Have a blest weekend!

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Posted on April 8, 2021 by beverlyeash

Secrets come in all sizes, shapes and styles. Some are fun to know; others are not. Sometimes I keep a secret for someone and then enjoy the telling when it’s time — like when my daughter and daughter-in-law are pregnant. That’s always exciting to learn and exciting to share.

Other times, I am the recipient of a secret that’s been held close until the time is right to reveal it. Sometimes the revelation brings joy; other times it brings sorrow.

Paul, in his letters, talks about a secret that has been kept hidden until the appropriate time.

 25God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. 26This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Colossians 1:25-27

This secret is a joyful one! You know, I don’t think about it often enough that Christ lives in ME! After he bought my freedom and forgave my debt, he moved in.

There is a second part to this great secret. When Christ lives in me, he declares me holy, blameless and without fault!

22Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Colossians 1:22

Blameless means innocent of wrongdoing. That seems like a contradiction. After all, Jesus died because I sinned — that’s wrongdoing. A crazy transformation took place when Jesus came into my life. All the guilt, shame and sin was redeemed and then forgiven. Suddenly I stood holy, blameless and without fault.

Not only is it great news that Christ lives in me, but I stand before God the Father completely blameless and without a single fault!

Go ahead! Shout this secret from the mountain top because it’s the best kind!!

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