Beasts of Burden

Coming home from a weekend with friends we took the following pictures of loads being carried along the road.  Enjoy a taste of the burdens we sometimes get to witness:

 

The loads being carried were varied.

The modes of transport diverse.

From motorcycles turned into wagons, to Suzukis loaded down with men, 

Each one is carrying a burden.

Moving crops, herds, or people.

Loaded to one side, about to fall, or perfectly balanced on a head.

Burdens carried from place to place.

Loads transferred from here to there.

From trucks fully loaded to donkey carts staggering under the weight

The loads are obvious.

Their weight unmistakeable.

And for you and me?

...Our loads being carried may vary.

The mode of transport the same.

Hearts entangled in the sin that clings, minds enslaved to thoughts unseen.

Each one is carrying a burden, 

Though the load may not be obvious.

Loaded down in unbelief, in loneliness, in worry, in anger, or disappointment.

Burdens we carry but are out of place.

We've been set free from sin, released to live.

In Christ I am truly free.

Called to run this race, looking to Jesus who endured the cross.

I'm set free to truly love, forgive, serve, give grace, compassion and kindness, patience and endurance. 

Freedom.

Running hard.

Burden free.

Weightless.

Freedom.

Joy.

  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

No longer a "beast of burden" but set free from slavery to freedom in Christ, 

m

The Keeping of Traditions

I have struggled over the years to create meaningful traditions in our family.
We begin things one year, only to have moved to a new city the next making the traditions no longer possible.

On thing we have kept over the years at Christmas is some kind of advent celebration. The idea of lighting candles just makes evening devotions that much more inviting and anticipated. Advent has looked different from year to year, but we have always been able to do something.

This year Thomas was once again an integral part to the creation of our advent wreath. As we rolled out the clay, braided our wreath and got busy with the painting, I asked him what each color was going to signify as we celebrate Christ's coming.

Here are his chosen colors and meanings:

Green: Jesus lived on the earth
Red: Jesus died for our sin
Blue: For the party because Jesus is alive
Yellow: Jesus is the light of the world

So each night as we light our candle and continue on in our family devotions we are reminded that Jesus lived and died that we might have life. He is alive and he is a light in a very dark world.

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!

Jesus! Lover of my soul;

Friends may fail me, foes assail me,

He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Hallelujah! what a Savior!

Hallelujah! what a Friend!

Saving, helping, keeping, loving,

He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!

Let me hide myself in Him.

Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,

He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!

While the billows over me roll,

Even when my heart is breaking,

He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!

While the tempest still is high,

Storms about me, night overtakes me,

He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Refrain

Jesus! I do now receive Him,

More than all in Him I find.

He hath granted me forgiveness,

I am His, and He is mine.

Refrain

Regardless of the tradition, I'm thankful today for a little boy who knows the meaning of our Christmas celebrations. I'm thankful for Jesus who has made me his friend, is my guide, my helper and my keeper.

I'm thankful for Christmas and the chance to remember Christ's coming has changed the course of my life and that of history, bringing God and man together. I am so thankful for Jesus!

How about you? What traditions do you have that have tested the trial of time, transition, and change?

m

Undeserving Part 2

Life continues.
But does the feeling of "undeserving"?

My mom sent this quote from Elizabeth Elliot's book, A Path Through Suffering:

"Faith need never ask, “But what good did this do me?”  Faith already knows that everything that happens fits into a pattern for good to those who love God.  An inconvenience is always, whether we see it or not, a blessed inconvenience.  We may rest in the promise that God is fitting together a good many more things than are any of our business.  We need never see “what good it did,” or how a given trouble accomplished anything.  It is peace to leave it all with Him, asking only that He do with me anything He wants, anywhere, anytime, that God may be glorified."

Life's pain and suffering, whether they be deep losses or unexpected inconveniences are all part of the plan of a loving Father, working for my good. God keeps his promises. God never lies. God is in control and this life is all for his glory.

There are days when my heart asks the Father, "Why?" And there are days where I rest in the knowledge that my Father's design is better than mine. 

Then there are days where I am stopped dead in my tracks as I encounter others stories of faith while walking through pain and suffering. 

 Just last week I saw this stone of remembrance:

Faith. Trusting his grace through the loss of 4 children in only 7 years of service. Do I have faith like that? Do I have faith that keeps me recognizing how undeserving I am? Is my faith such that my heart will not grow hard, or weary? Will my faith last through the test of time, trial, and temptations? Faith?

God calls me to have faith and to enter his rest, believe his power, his promises, his plan and his provision.

Unbelief keeps me from entering that rest. 

Unbelief hardens my heart. 

Unbelief says, "I am undeserving of this suffering or inconvenience." 

Unbelief causes me to ask, "Why God, is this happening?" 

Unbelief leads me to believe in my own power, my own plan, and my own provision. 

Unbelief puts me in the place of the Potter, designing rather than being designed.

Faith. My cry to the Father is much like that of the father in Mark 9:24, "I believe. Help my unbelief."

I am undeserving, help my unbelief.

I am suffering, help my unbelief.

I am weak, help my unbelief.

I am unable, help my unbelief.

You are my hope, help my unbelief.

You are the Potter, help my unbelief.

You keep your promises, help my unbelief.

Your ways are good, help my unbelief.

You are all powerful, help my unbelief.

Your plans will stand, help my unbelief.

Your grace is sufficient, help my unbelief

My needs you will supply, help my unbelief

Your design is best, help my unbelief.

I enter into your rest, help my unbelief.

I'm trusting only Jesus, help my unbelief.

I believe. Help my unbelief.

Believing God, 

m

Wonder Wednesday

Today I wonder at the grace, mercy and kindness of our God, amazed at how he has "helped us thus far."

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”

(an ebenezer: a monument to remember)

only with the Lord's help have we come this far.

m

Undeserving Part 1

Our family has been hit pretty hard by some painful experiences in the last couple of months.
We spent over 6 weeks in the States and have now been back home for just about a month. While in the States I wrote about how we were working through this painful time.

Here's what I journaled while there:
Our family has been hit by trial.
As we work through this painful time and are caused to walk by faith and not by sight, we are continually amazed by the gracious and kind hand of our father. Daily he surprises us with his grace, comforts us through his presence, and draws us ever nearer to him as we rest in him for our everything. 
Tonight we are spending the night in a hotel. Once we reached the hotel Walt said to me, "Go run, I'll take Thomas to the pool."
Go for a run. That use to be what my mom would say to me in high school. Now, 11 years into this marriage thing it's Walt recognizing that a run can bring me so much life, refreshment and perspective. 

As I ran through the quiet neighborhood streets, leaves around me changing color, people working in their immaculate lawns, and preparing for the fall season, my heart, from years of habit, went directly to prayer, unloading my burdens at the foot of the cross and enjoying still minutes of uninterrupted intercession. Half way into my run my heart was struck with the word, "undeserving. " Over and over it played through my mind and soul, "undeserving… undeserving." Here we are in the middle of  heart break yet every day he brings new and fresh praise to our mouths and makes us amazed by the gracious, gentle, and perfect love of the Father. His presence is so real. His love so tangible. His grace so immense and overwhelming, overwhelming to the point where we can describe our situation, as tragic as it may be, as undeserving.  

Today I was especially struck by the incredible provision of friends that he has given me. For the past 25 years I have moved around a lot and yet even now I have friends that are faithfully praying for me and loving me and not just in one small town somewhere but but all over the world and all across America. Saturday I talk with a friend from Oregon, Sunday I met us with a friend from Alabama and I have been receiving emails from all over the globe. Not only words of encouragement reach our ears but we know the power of the intercession being prayed on our behalf.  
I have done nothing in my life to deserve this.
I am undeserving.

Oh how thankful I am that there is nothing I have done to make him love me less and there is nothing I can do to make him love me more. But in his perfect love he continues to love and love and give and give. He gives so much that even in the midst of the hurt, I can't help but praise the Lord for all that he is to me, undeserving as I am. I can't help but praise him for his miraculous intervention in the little details of my every day.  How great is our God!

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Stuart Townend Copyright © 1995 Thankyou Music 

Amazed by his love, 

m

Wonder Wednesday

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, 

who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, 

who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." 

Isaiah 52:7

m

Wonder Wednesday

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to your. 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

When I see the little things in creation, like bees, bugs, and flowers, I am always caused to praise our Maker.  They are so tiny, seemingly insignificant, yet when we take the time to see how he has made all things, our hearts must stop and praise.  Today I wonder a the tiny things, that our Lord is their Maker and their God and they all exist for his glory!

What a Wonderful Maker!

m

TCK (Third Culture Kid) Conundrum

As we walked through a small group of boys similar in size to Thomas they began to discuss us. This we understood from what they said among themselves and their unabashed stares. As we passed, they began to follow us.

Strange noises began, first one boy, then another and another, followed by laughs.

"They are trying to imitate the way our English sounds to them," I explained in response to Thomas' perplexed look up at me. 

Their "English conversation" continued till we stopped to buy bananas and they continued on, just 5 paces ahead.  There, they too, paused to watch us make our purchase.  

This time when we passed, I greeted them in their language. Smiled. 

They stopped. 

Following us and pretending to speak English lost it's intrigue when now they could run home and tell their family that the ungrez (foreigner) had spoken to them in their own language.

Thomas seemed agitated.

"I'm tired of being a Pakistani in America and an American when I'm in Pakistan," he complained.

I put my arm on his shoulder. How insightful. How true.

"I know it's hard." I sympathized, knowing my own struggles as a TCK, "That's why it's not our goal to be "American" or "Pakistani" but to be like Jesus."

Thomas is only just beginning the long, challenging and blessed road of a TCK.

My prayer is he will learn to love Jesus, be like Jesus, and bring others to Jesus as he moves in and out of one culture to the next, never really knowing jut one deeply as his own but many.  May this deepen the security that Jesus is his identity regardless of language, color, customs, and location.

wanting to be like Christ, 

m

Thomas with some of his friends outside on our street.

Lately Thomas' coloring usually includes brown bodies with blonde hair…hmmm?!?

Wonder Wednesday

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! 

Blessed is the man who take refuge in him!

Oh,  fear the Lord, you his saints, 

for those who fear him have no lack!

The young lions suffer want and hunger;

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Psalm 34:8-10

Today I am in wonder of how the Lord has given me this precious boy. Whereever we go he finds animals. He loves the Lord's creation and is a constant help to remind me of the wonder of our God.

m

Wonder Wednesday

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. 

Our God perfectly gives life to the little grass flowers that today are alive and tomorrow… 

How much more does he give us life, and breath and everything else?!

in wonder,

m

Imperfections

When I visit the beach my goal is to find the most complete and flawless shells.  When I see holes, cracks, or chips I usually let the shell continue to lay on the sand for the next passerby. 
Thomas, doesn't have this prejudice. I don't know if he is searching for a color, a shape, or type of shell.  He just combs the beach, randomly taking from it's treasures the shells I would typically leave behind.

As we went for a hike a couple weeks ago I had my camera ready for beautiful picture opportunities, whether it was people, animals or nature.  I just wanted whatever I could find that was "beautiful." 

Then I past by this flower:

It caught my eye because it stood alone, stark contrast of yellow against the green background. It almost shone all alone. I walked over to it take a picture.

As I bent over I noticed the missing petals. 

"Great," I thought, "Another chance for a gorgeous pic ruined since it isn't whole."

I walked away, not taking the picture.

My mind wandered to the chipped shells, the missing petals, broken. 

This flower suddenly looked a lot like me.

Broken.

Imperfect.

Weathered.

Flawed.

But just as this flower had stood out all alone in it's surroundings, I too, though full of imperfections, am to stand out, like city on a hill or a lamp on a stand.  Why? So that glory might be given to perfect Father in heaven. Not so people see me or think me perfect, whole and flawless. 

I backtracked and took a quick photo. 

This flawed flower was made by my Almighty Creator to give his praise.

I am this broken vessel that the praise might go to my Creator as his power works through this imperfect life. 

In Christ, I become whole. 

In Christ, what is broken is healed.

In Christ, what is imperfect will one day be perfected.

In Christ, I am being made beautiful.

In Christ, I stand to shine for his glory.

Flawed? Yes.

Imperfect? Absolutely.

But each day in Christ I am becoming more and more like Him.

There is hope.

Hope for the perfect.

Hope for wholeness.

Hope.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Hoping in the God of hope, 

m

Wonder Wednesday

Psalm 67:5-7

Let the peoples praise you, O God; 

let all the peoples praise you!

The earth has yielded its increase; 

God, our God, shall bless us. 

God shall bless us; 

let all the ends of the earth fear him!

m

Thankful for Dirt?

Thankfulness seems to be a lot about perspective.

We recently flew back across the Atlantic "home" to Pakistan.
Several times throughout the journey I teared up, knowing I was leaving my daughter back in the States and moving back to life without libraries, clean and priced shopping, parks with open wide spaces to run in without anyone ever staring (except me, my husband or my son who have adopted this South Asian habit the of unabashed stare) etc.

Thomas, our son, however, saw our landing in the dirty, dusty city of over 17 million (maybe closer to 20 million) people in a very different light.
As we walked up the ramp from the airplane into the airport we were hit by, what I would describe, a warm blast of VERY dusty air.  Thomas took a deep, loud breath in, "Yup, it smells like Pakistan.  Dusty. I love it here!"
"Hmmm" I thought.  "Really?"
30 minutes later as we sat in the car headed to Hyderabad he continued his thankfulness, "The air in America is so wet (I would chosen the words fresh, clean, etc).  I like the air here so much better.  It's so, well, dusty.  Mom, what vitamins are in dirt?"
Really?  We know we need to get our daily dose of vitamin D. But no, this is not D for Dirt.
Vitamins in dirt?

I may not be thankful for the dusty air but I certainly am thankful for my son who has a heart of love for this nation and it's people and culture and even the dirt.
What a gift it is to have a happy and content child!
What a gift the Lord has given to his heart to be thankful for the very things that others despise. May God use him for his glory and the expansion of his kingdom.

We are so glad to be home.

thankful,
m

Wonder Wednesday

Psalm 116: 7

Return, O my soul, to your rest; 

for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

in worship of our Creator, 

m

Wonder Wednesday

Psalm 148:7-13

Praise the Lord from the earth,

    you great sea creatures and all deeps,

fire and hail, snow and mist,

    stormy wind fulfilling his word!

Mountains and all hills,

    fruit trees and all cedars!

Beasts and all livestock,

    creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples,

    princes and all rulers of the earth!

Young men and maidens together,

    old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

  for his name alone is exalted;

    his majesty is above earth and heaven.

There are so many things we never see, never know… but he is the maker of them all.

in wonder, 

m

Wonder Wednesday

In preparation for Thanksgiving this year, I thought I would take the two months leading up to it to just celebrate God's beauty displayed in creation. I once read that one of the best remedies for a melancholy spirit was to get outside and just look up. How true I have found this to be.

All around us God has displayed his glory. His creation shouts his praise. His creation proclaims his wisdom. His creation melts hearts of sadness, fear and doubt to a place of recognizing the greatness of the God we worship and love. His creation reminds us that the pain we walk through, he knows. His creation causes the heart to sing, submit, and trust.

Take time to see the almighty hand of our loving Father today and wonder at his majesty with me.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2 

Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

Psalm 19:1-2

amazed, 

m