One-On-One Time

Luke 5:3-4 And He got into one of the boats which was Simon’s, (Peter) and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the multitudes from the boat. And when He had finished speaking He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let your nets down for a catch.”

Have you shared a “boat ride” with the Lord?  Has he stepped into your very personal space and asked you to sit beside Him? Or have you chosen to stay on the shore, with the crowd where you find safety, obscurity, listen from afar with no commitments, learn enough lyrics from the songs to be convincing to some, maybe to yourself?  

All of us are a part of some crowd, followers, interested onlookers. At some point though, when does it become…when do you allow the Lord to have that one-on-one time with you, when do you schedule that appointment and begin the dialogue, the one about removing you from the crowd, and finding where your true purpose and gift can be and should be applied? You've kind of always wanted to know...don't you? -- Your story must...needs to make sense. 

Staying on the shore, lost in the crowd: it’s like reading everybody’s Facebook posts, but remaining anonymous. You took information in, but never gave back. 

The crowd pressed in and Jesus saw Peter.  He saw the whole picture of what was to be with this disciple, both the good and the bad times. Did he think past to the time of betrayal and then linger on whether to pursue him based on what He knew?

No, Jesus wanted to give Peter a plan, a greater purpose, offer up the Hope of reconciliation. He knew Peter’s spontaneous will, his fears, his self-centered nature. Don’t we all have that in our core—or something similar? Yep, we do.  But Jesus, being God, focused on the good, because God is good. He saw Himself manifested, glorified in Peter. Peter felt His love, was inspired already by His teaching…and now he wanted more and Jesus offered it in one-on-one time with Him. 

Jesus climbed into the boat and continued his preaching from there to the crowd on the beach. But he called out to Simon Peter to join him. Peter received teaching away from the beach, from the crowd, one-on-one, in a boat rocking back and forth in the waves, the waves and tides of life decisions and choices. Then Jesus told Peter to go deeper… and in Peter’s obedience, he was blessed and he grew in his belief.  

When Jesus went to the Cross, He got into your boat. He calls each and everyone to come, sit beside Him and listen. Where are you? Did you jump out only to find yourself dog paddling, even drowning? Are you still standing on the beach building castles that soon will be washed away?

The Lord has been calling out to you, yes, you in the crowd of this world, surrounded by your bantering burdens, your definitive doubts, the undulating unbelief, and the angry acid always rising.  I pray you are not lost in the crowd but fine tune your ears and soul with prayer to hear His voice calling out to you. The crowd hears, but does not listen.

I know you hear His voice, because you so recognize it;  it is the grace...that love. 

Climb in, pull anchor, trust Him and go deeper. You’ll find beauty in the journey and nets full of courage, strength, wisdom, and growing faith.  Step out for the first time, or again and refresh yourself in His Word.

I’ll say it again, Trust Him. He wants to give you a gift of discovery of yourself, who you can be in Him. Deeper is not somewhere over your head. Deeper is where you will grow, surrounded by buoys of encouragement in His Word, in fellowship and a net full of purpose in each new dawn.

Lord, going deeper takes courage. When you call us to salvation, we are forgiven, entering again into a loving relationship with the Father and receiving the Holy Spirit. Lord, in Your Word, you call us to continue to seek You and Your will. You give us gifts in which to help and encourage one another. Going deeper Lord is like pursing a Master’s degree, a Ph.D., obtaining the wisdom so we can serve others well, bear fruit, and shine Your Light. You Lord, paid all the tuition with your blood shed on the cross. In that, my knees hit the sand on the beach in humble thanksgiving. Now Lord, grant strength to conquer fears and step into the boat when you call us to one-on- one time with You.  A deeper faith immerses us in Your grace and that is a perfect place to be. Amen. 

Of Hospice, Homecomings and His Peace.

Isaiah 26: 3-4a The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace because he trusts in Thee. Trust in the Lord forever." 

Hospice made their welcome in our lives this week, attending to my father-in-law. Considering his age, health and stress of the last 10 years, he declines each week. Memory only of the moment we're in or of a past in the old country far away, we prepare for the next phase.  My mother-in-law struggles to accept anything, any help, any reality;  her mind rages in fear and distrust, she too with scattered thoughts, unable to reason--the ravages of dementia. She fights the system we put into place, without peace of mind or soul. Unfortunately, this could mean Hospice may move my father-in-law to a safer environment. We'll deal with that when it comes.

It's worn on us as well, but God, our strength-giver, lights our path.  We know in our heart that we want the best in comfort and care in these days, to lessen the friction, struggle and pain; to have above all else, their peace as well as our own peace of mind.

~~~

Homecoming at the school I work at,  happened this week. Manning the ticket gate on the opposing side, I partnered with a new person I never met face to face on campus.  She works as a secretary in the asst. principal's office and fairly new to our campus.  I'm not in that office very much.

 Full of personality, we hit it off right away and before the first kick-off, she knew a lot about me and visa-vera. We bonded quickly over a common heartache, the loss of a son. Attending Chino High in her youth, she also shared the same class as Tim, my son!

Most of the time, I am a storyteller, but to be a storyteller, you must also prepare yourself for listening as well. She told me right away, that the passing of her 2 day-old son had a story.  She began sharing a very personal journey with me. Just meeting, maybe an hour earlier, her story, both sad and miraculous, weaves a tapestry of strength, courage, forgiveness and a family bond that reaches into eternity. She is at peace.

Believing we were meant to work together (as she was called in at the last minute) and meet, that made me feel awesome! I hope one day with her permission, I can share her story. I love meeting new friends!

A little later, the security guard from the district came up to chat with us, and I recognized that face. Danny Q. attended school with Tim from K-12! I introduced Danny to my new friend Nicole, as they did not know each other in High School. Danny, called in to provide an extra amount of manpower, to keep the peace among the fans, parents and outsiders, smiled as he remembered his friend Timmy in younger days.

Nicole and I did a very good job keeping youngsters from wondering out of the gates. Once in, you stayed in. I hope that gives some parents peace of mind.

Last week, we celebrated Tim's birthday, our son who passed away 7 years ago. As we were leaving to drive up north for our 2nd day of celebration, I noticed the flower growing from the divide between the cement of the driveway and the slab of the garage. Funny how a seed falls and finds its way, when seemingly inpossible, to send down roots and thrive outside a comfort zone, a less than peaceful spot where cars zoom in and out and people walk. It did and indeed,  blooms!

Peace of mind. When our trust is anchored to the Creator, the Lord God Almighty, we can be assured of His peace, no matter what the circumstances. When we pay attention to His workings, His divine appointments, even His interventions, we can know His peace. When our heart is troubled for lost loved ones, overwhelmed with care of the obstinate and diseased, the depressed and the disabled, let not our hope fade in Jesus Christ, our provider of peace. He will give us a peace the world does not understand and the will to carry on. You can choose to be angry, fight the ones you love for control and ignore God, the maker and giver of Peace, or you can surrender, lean into Him and ask Him to show you the road towards peace, peace of mind, peace of soul. You make the choice.

Father, Giver and Ruler of all that is Peace, thank you for Hospice and for trained professionals that can take charge when all is weary; when words struggle to make sense. Thank you for divine appointments that turn into testimonies and for reminders of youthful days. Thank you for peace keepers and promises of peace. Help us Lord to be peacemakers and to honor You with our stories and our own miraculous Peace that passes understanding through our testimony of faith. Every good gift comes from above, from Your Spirit and Your blessings in our life when we put our trust in You. Amen.