DebraBee

Walking through the store I wondered at the bombardment of Christmas music. Some people like it a lot, feeling it adds to their holiday mood. I was curious about having to hear it repeated for weeks on end. The woman at the check-out did her job for my groceries and we engaged in polite small talk. She was honest to share the music was something to block out of her senses. Her statement intrigued me but I said nothing more, waiting to see what else she might speak. Within seconds she blurted the whole of her thoughts.

She shared that she just wanted to give to those in need but she had kids. She put up a tree because of them and was going through the motions. The look on her face hurt me to see. It was clear she felt trapped into doing something for the sake of other’s expectations. I could offer her no wisdom. Her internal battle was one she’d have to conclude for herself.

He looks at me with beautiful eyes changing hues in any given light; I see the love of Jesus. I listen to his voice talking to me softly, gently, at times firm; I hear the love of Jesus.  His arms wrap around me when I am happy, when sad, when very tired; I touch the love of Jesus. The building of a fresh fire fills my nostrils, embers dwindling down, ashes seemingly cold; I smell the love of Jesus. Water rushes over me, I open my mouth, I drown in it again; I taste the love of Jesus.

In these ways I am using a sense common to us all…

I sat on the swing next to him, the cold biting my exposed face and fingers. Inwardly my heart burned with hope and hurt. I answered questions to the best of my ability sharing openly about the journey I was on. This young man had been hurt by my lack of faith when young; I didn’t want to hurt him now he was grown by anything called religion. His thoughts felt no less important than my own and I listened with intent. He had his own journey to walk and the only equipment I could offer were the tools of experience shared. Truth once spoken would do its own work. Any wrestling about it was not for me to interfere with. My only job was to love him without judgment. I set my face like flint to do just that.

When it was time to go I linked my arm with his, feeling him tower over me. Reaching out my hand, my grandson willingly grabbed it and I enjoyed the warmth. Walking together I felt my son’s heart; his too burned with hope and hurt to do the right thing by this little boy and by his family. I wanted to assure him mistakes would not come but I kept silent; lies were never helpful no matter how much we wanted them to become true. His son let go of my hand running forward to stomp on the edges of the puddles, making splashes.

Smiling, I enjoyed watching this energy at work. Someone who came before me once made splashes. Looking upward in hope, I asked these splashes would grow into the waves they are meant to be.

I saw darkness working to wrap its cloud around the beautiful ones. I could hear lies in its whispers, promising comfort and I hated its work. Looking upward I focused my eyes upon the light wanting to break through the clouds. Darkness stopped whispering and began yelling trying to intimidate me into silence. Hearing this noise I put my earbuds in to filter out the garbage of its language.

Jesus taught me ahead of time to recognize this darkness. How the lying tongue would come to try to kill, steal and destroy the beautiful ones. Someone once helped me become free of the darkness; now it was my turn to help. Laying my head upon the pillow I began to pray for the abundant life, this time for those I loved.

“Been a while since I’ve seen you?”

Buzz…”Hang on, let me see who this is?”

I sip on my water and wait.

“Sorry, a friend needed to know where we are meeting later. Yeah it’s great to see you, what are you up to? ” Buzz…”Just a sec, it’s my work, gotta take this call.”

I sip on my water and wait.

“Nothing that couldn’t wait but you know how it is with some people. It’s been a while since you and I have seen each other to really talk. Glad we finally got together, how have you been? Maybe we should order?” Buzz…

I sip on my water and wait.

”Wow, my team just won! How is that for timing? We should get together more often like this!”

“Like I said, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

Buzz…

I watch fingers move once more upon the touch screen. Finishing my water it’s time to leave, I’ll have to eat later.

Rev 3:20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

Lies speak, taking us into darkness

Truth shouts, offering light

Collision brings us into the gray

Logic or trust

James 1:17 Every very good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

He leaned back against the wall for a moment merely watching all the people moving or sitting around the room. Some had talked to him briefly and others he knew intimately from times before. There were many new faces as well. Many came wanting to be healed of something. He admired their recognition that there was a God of heaven who cared about people.

Looking around he took in the details of different forms of worship. They expressed their love in a myriad of ways.  Each person chose a praise form of their liking and he watched; dancers, singers, musicians, clappers, laughter, tears, prayers, writers, readers, flags, hugs, painters, drawers, and more. Even those with broken hearts were sitting still waiting for something, anything. Such as these made him smile because he knew they hadn’t given up on hope in tough times.

He looked to his right seeing his friend Ardent grinning at him. Laughing aloud Jesus nodded to his friend and spoke, “Go ahead Ardent, you and the other angels minister to their every need today! I want to introduce myself to the new ones who came and then I AM going to walk among them, be glad and sing to all.”

Zep 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

*Ardent – definition means intensely devoted, eager, or enthusiastic, zealous, passionate, fervent

The hall was long, longer than any hall I could remember seeing before. As far as I could see there were doors on both sides of the halls. Some of the doors had numbers and others had titles. Where there were no doors, there were corridors leading to more hallways and doors. Sometimes there were pictures and plaques on the walls to acknowledge those who had established this building. It was a building for the sick and for the dying.

I walked beside my friend as we were on our way to visit someone who needed healing. Neither of us carried a degree in medicine nor wore any kind of uniform to distinguish ourselves as having been trained in any kind of university upon the earth. We simply brought with us the tools of faith, hope and love along with the power of the Holy Spirit.

This night we only prayed with the one directly. As we walked out I knew in my heart that soon others would come with us and we would pray for all. I knew by the Spirit, this building was meant to be emptied of all the sick and dying. It would not be the medicine of man that would do this, it would be the great physician, Jesus Christ.

The kitten had gotten separated from its mother a few days earlier. Alone and fearful, wanting to protect itself from the elements, the kitten found a hiding place under the planks of a porch. In the dark the kitten shivered from the cold and began to hurt for lack of food or water. The only thought the kitten had was to cry out and hope its mother would hear and come to comfort. Mewing as loudly as it could for hours on end it would eventually tire and sleep from exhaustion. Upon waking the kitten began again to mew but grew weaker.

Looking out at the lighted area the kitten saw a small bowl and even smelled food and water. Remembering what its mother had taught, the kitten refused to leave the hiding place for fear of being hurt. A face appeared in the lighted area and made sounds that echoed like its mother but the kitten knew it wasn’t her. Soon a hand was extended and the kitten became terrified, lashing back at the hand with its tiny claws and hissing emphatically. After drawing blood from the hand, it withdrew, and the kitten felt safe momentarily but even closer to collapsing from hunger and thirst.

With no more energy to call for its mother the kitten lay still. The hand returned, but this time seemed to be covered somehow. Weak as the kitten was, it fought off the hand until its muscles could no longer move. Feeling the hand wrap around its tiny body the kitten knew it was finished for this life, its mother had said so.

Years later, lying in the sun on top of the porch, the cat yawned and cleaned itself. Now and again it would think back to the time it hid under the porch in darkness, frightened and starving. That life was definitely finished. The cat loved when the hand would come to pet its fur. Getting up the cat lapped fresh water and ate a bountiful feast.

Psalm 18:35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great