Not Now

Don't you love it when God gives you one of those "Aha!" moments? I had one just this morning.

I was reading a passage I've probably read a hundred times before, but this time a verse jumped out at me.

“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

How many times have you asked God,
"What are you thinking?"
"Why would you do this?"
"What's going on here?"

Did you know He already gave you this answer? “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

You might be surprised to know where I found this verse. It's from John 13, when Jesus was washing the disciples' feet. Peter refused to let Jesus wash his feet. That's when Jesus said, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Instead of saying, "Ok, I trust you," Peter came up with a better idea - wash all of me!

Don't we do the same thing? When we don't understand something God is doing, we refuse to submit to the Lord, or we tell Him we have a better plan.

In those times when God doesn't make sense, what does He desire from us?
Trust
Submit
Do it His way
Trust

That's what Jesus wanted from Peter. I believe that's what He wants from us.

I don't think this verse is necessarily a promise that we'll always get an explanation from God or always understand what He's doing. But I do think it gives us a helpful principle. Many times God asks us to trust Him Now. And to wait for understanding to come later.

And when it comes, we'll know that it was worth the wait. =)

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Engaged

...Before you start doing cartwheels, this post is not about a marriage engagement.

This post is about being engaged - fully present - in where we are, what we are doing, and who God is...RIGHT NOW.

I believe it was Jim Elliot who said, "Wherever you are, be all there."
This is a phrase that has stuck with me through many years. It's something I aspire to, yet something that seems so elusive, so difficult to put into practice.

At present, my reality is the four walls of this room. About once a week I leave the house to go to the doctor. Otherwise, my life is inside. It is small. It is hard to be all HERE. I'd rather take a trip down memory lane, to better days. Or dream about the future and what possibilities it might hold.

Yet, HERE, in this place, is where God has put me. This is where He wants me to be. This is where I need to be engaged. If there is a secret to consistently living life this way, I haven't found it yet. But I'm trying to start with this verse:
"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps. 118:24)

I know my Lord has the best plan for me. I know I am exactly where He wants me to be. I know He always does what is good.

So here I am. Rejoicing in today.

Proud Aunt

Have I ever mentioned that I have the most adorable nieces and nephews in the world? =) They're also SO sweet to their Aunt Joanna! They pray for me, and draw me pictures, and just cheer me up with their tender hearts!
Here are some pictures of a few of them.

unshakable

Hebrews 12:22-24 says,
"But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

This is what is waiting for us. This is our heavenly home. This is a picture of eternity.
Some days more than others, I need to be reminded of this.
Right now, we live with problems, unrest, uncertainties...a world that is shaking. But it is only temporary. Praise God a better day is coming!

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe." -Heb. 12:28

let it rain...

Hebrews 6:7 says,
"Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of the God."

When I read this verse, I picture myself as the land. And my trials are the rain. Do I "drink in" the trials? Do I let them soak into my soul as something useful that will produce a crop? Or do I resist them, causing the water to "run off" and be inefffective in my life?

Honestly, I don't want to "drink in" the rain. But this verse says the land that does so is the land that produces a crop and receives the blessing of God. We already have every spiritual blessing in Christ. But maybe we don't experience them all when we're resisting the rain.


Do you remember the scene in "The Emperor's New Groove" with the waterfall? Cuzco and Pancha are tied to a tree trunk that's floating down the river. Pancha says, "Uh oh."
Cuzco is in the back and can't see, but he knows what's coming. "Don't tell me, we're about to go over a big waterfall?"
"Yep."
"Sharp rocks at the bottom?"
"Most Likely."
Then Cuzco says, "Bring it on!"


I'm not sure I'm able to say "Bring it on!" but I do want to be land that willingly "drinks in" the rain that God sends me.
By His grace, I know He'll produce the fruit in me.
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My Prayer

"You have granted him the desire of his heart...Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken." -Psalm 21:2, 6-7

This is my prayer - that the desire of my heart would always be to be glad with the joy of His presence and to TRUST in His unfailing love.