Uplifted in a Broken Down World

T’was bright and early one morn, when a little lassie jumped out of bed. She had a mission to do. As her mommy was contemplating what to make for family breakfast, this petite miss raced past her toward the kitchen door announcing, “I promise I won’t go out of my yard, but I need to do something important for God”.

In curiosity, her mommy peeked out the window and witnessed her daughter picking up garden stones and plopping them into her tiny bucket. With a chuckle, the mother accepted that dirty stones were about to decorate the breakfast table.

Pancakes grilled, mommy poked her head outside and announced breakfast was ready and hands needed to be washed before the first bite was eaten. The little lassie, still clutching her bucket, raced inside. Her morning task resulted in a very hungry tummy. Hands cleansed; she parked her bucket under the chair into which she plunked her diminutive frame. Mommy sighed relief that dirty stones were not perched upon her table. Their presence in a bucket on the floor was much more appetizing.

Hands folded and head bowed, this small child of God sang Grace for her family. After a unison Amen, all reached for the flap jack platter.

Between yummy bites, daddy was curious and inquired what motivation led his little girl to her early morning adventure. In a matter-of-fact explanation, the apple of this daddy’s eye replied, “I was obeying God”. Her mommy added, “I’m glad you, also, honored me and didn’t put those dirty stones in your bucket upon my clean table”.

Puzzled, the wise youngster inquired, “what stones, Mommy?”. With a loving, factual tone, the mother interjected, “the ones I saw you putting into your bucket”. “Oh Mommy,” the lass responded, “those stones weren’t for my bucket. They were for God. His wish is for me, for you, for everyone to give the stained stones in our lives to Him, and He will carry them for us. So, I gave God all our messy rocks!”. Lifting her bucket up for all to examine, this child of God exclaimed, “See, my bucket’s empty! God’s hands, not mine, now carry them all!”.

What about my and your bucket? Are they overbrimming with the rocky issues of our lives, or are they empty because, with trust, we have poured all our rubble boulders into God’s almighty palm? “Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)

No matter where I am or where I go, the conversation seems the same. Be they politicians, corporate executives, media analysts, sports enthusiasts or average Americans, each and everyone proclaims their knowledge, wisdom and expertise would change our broken, dysfunctional world. Only ones not preaching this message are the vast majority of preachers. This ordained segment of our population, sadly, might be America’s last chance for hope, yet their guidance seems silent.

Not as an attempt to usurp anyone, but as one who fully knows and accepts I, myself, have no power to change the world, may I boldly declare I do know from whence comes the power for change to happen.

Truth be told, man can only rearrange. God alone can change. Man can rearrange till the Kingdom comes, and though, the overrunning of evil might change its course, the downward direction of society will continue onward. Only when mankind returns to God and dons Godly character will the world return to peace as its core value. Solely returning to God can change the souls of mankind from hate to love, war to peace, death to life and enemy to brothers and sisters in Christ.

God can change the world, but for this to happen, man must elect God as the leader they choose to follow. There is no other way for change to happen than for humans to rearrange their lives to honor God and plea for God to save His flock.

How might our Country go from failing in personal self proclaimed power to returning under the almighty power of God? There is only one answer, and it is found in the Bible. There’s not a joint chief of staff assembly, cabinet meeting or voting booth that holds the direction needed. God’s word, and His word alone, can chart this course.

Call me a dreamer, but I long for preachers to lead us back to God to find our way going forward. In today’s society this might not be the popular thing, but it might be the only lifeboat that will save our land, our families and our souls.

Recently, while preparing for a Grammy Prayer gathering, I asked God to share His wisdom. I inquired how we, Grams, could pray deeper and more in accordance with His intentions. God’s answer, at first, confused me. The guidance He shared was to meditate on the reality that humans tend to “PLATE” pray; and while doing so, the majority completely miss the deep message contained within this form of intercession. My response informed Our Lord that I had asked Him for clarity, and He answered with confusion. God retorted back for me to ponder His words, and so I did.

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Psalm 51:2). In “PLATE” prayer, humans ask God to “take stuff off” and “put stuff on” their platter. God intends for prayer to, additionally, wash the plate. Let’s think about this.

We all come to God in prayer as plates. God, please take ______ off my plate; or God, please add ______ to my plate. This is not wrong prayer, but it is incomplete. The greatest power of prayer is not a give or take. It is a cleansing of the remaining tidbits of stains in our lives — the crumbs of sin left over from our choosing to, at times, allow “Satan to put “a forbidden apple” in our diets and on our plates. With plate in hand, we pray to God for takeout and delivery of our nourishment needs. God longs for our prayers to, also, include (and even prioritize) the washing of our plates through our seeking the continual flow of baptismal waters over our lives.

Do I, you, we see prayer only as a “remove or put on” plea? Truthfully, upon examination, too often I do. Frequently, my prayers are a “need to return or purchase” shopping spree at the mall. Sadly, I also routinely overlook my responsibility to take the soiled apparel of my life to the cleaners, both on my way to and from the shopping center.

Closer contemplation revealed to me that the aspects of “PLATE” prayer (take off, put on and wash) reflect the three Theological Virtues of Christian belief — Faith, Hope and Love. Is not Faith the belief that what we cannot handle alone, we can prayerfully give to God and await deliverance? Doesn’t the presence of Hope in our prayers add God’s power to feed into our lives what is good and longed for? What about Love? Without denial, our prayers must implore God’s love for us to, over and over again, remind us of the cleansing that occurred when our lives were submerged in the stain removal of our baptismal water. And yes, we do need to bring our new stains to God and ask for them to be washed away by His love.

The long and short of “PLATE” prayer is that “taking off and putting on” our plates is simple addition and subtraction. However, if our plates (life on earth) are to multiply into an eternity of feasting in Heaven, then prayer for us must, also, include reoccurring recall of (and reaching out for) God’s love, which forever washes our plates in the cleansing stream of Baptismal waters.

It’s time for all Children of God to set not only our tables, but also our prayers, with plates that nourish not solely our days on earth but “soul”y our eternity in Heaven.

The world lectures us to race faster, climb higher and scream louder. The whisper of God’s Word speaks otherwise. “Be Still and Know That I Am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

May the wisdom of taking time to rest in the knowledge of God be the destination that fuels our life’s journey to both the here and the hereafter. Only then, will we arrive at the unique sole, and SOUL, purpose God created each of us to fulfill.

2024 has been a rough season. Looking at the world, this statement most likely burns deep in many other lives. Broken hearts, broken spirits and broken dreams rain on the lives of many of God’s children. Past couple of weeks, I’ve found myself asking God to stop all the breaking. His response has not been to instantaneously stop the breaking of my heart; but rather, to yield His wisdom through one additional break. God broke my way of thinking. Cutting deep to my core, God sent me a newsflash announcing, “Satan breaks; God reassembles”. Though a struggle, I pulled this apart in hope of putting my life back together. Praise God, His wisdom was revealed and turned into the adhesive bond my heart and soul are seeking.

It is Satan, not God, who shreds our lives, our families and our dreams. Satan’s goal is to break all that is good, and of God, into pieces. The devil desires our fragmented scraps to forever remain in ruin. Breaking is an end goal for Satan. God never breaks. He allows only disassemblement. There is magnanimous difference between break and disassemble. Understanding this polar-opposite reality is the glue that seals a Christian life in faith and hope.

A break destroys. Disassemble takes something apart and allows the splinters to be reconfigured into a better, stronger and even more beautiful entity. Satan breaks to tear down, demolish and end. God allows disassembly so the dismantled pieces can be re-birthed into wisdom and a new beginning. Blame Satan for the broken pieces of our lives. Praise God that He is waiting to guide us toward reassembling our lives into better accord, so we might love mightier and rejoice gratefully in the blessing of His will and way re-cementing our lives.

Once we collapse in broken pieces, what are we to do? Two choices are ours to make. Either, we can solely see the ruin, blame others for the destruction and remain surrounded in shattered hopes and dreams; or we can “soul”y choose to see with God’s insight. We can let go of blame and anger and cling to allowing God’s lead and guidance help reassemble our lives into a better reflection of the image of Christ. Herein, lies God’s miracle of broken pieces being turned into new and greater creations.

We can choose between the blame game or the name game. The blame game is to fault God, or His children, for the wrong that occurred and resulted in the broken pieces of our lives. The name game is to bring our splintered fragments to God; place them in His hands and beg Him to reassemble, in the name of Jesus Christ, our brokenness, so we better reflect God’s will, way, forgiveness and redemption.

Don’t know about you, but my life is drowning right now in the sea of broken pieces. God handed me His life saver 2,024 years ago on Mt, Calvary. It’s more than time for me to, once and for all, sever Satan’s brokenness and tether my life to God’s reassembly line. My hope and prayer are all my family and extended sisters and brothers in Christ join me in this restoration of the broken pieces of our lives.

When a soldier marches into battle, where are his treasures? This is the question God placed in my soul when I asked Him how I might best help His little (and big) children learn it’s not the size of their toy box but the gift of invisible love that is their most valuable treasure. My initial response was “God, isn’t this apples and oranges? God retorted back “Nope, it’s the fruit of all wisdom”.

After deeper thought, I sensed God’s message and meaning. We can line up, display and even flaunt the ownership of all our physical assets, but are they really everlasting, never leaving treasures? Can they uphold us as we climb the mountains in our lives? Will they even sparkle when we are thrust into our darkest moments? Don’t they often become burdensome baggage we can’t carry with us, so we leave them behind?

A soldier, going off to war, must lay down all his nonessential riches and pick up the call of duty. What matters most to him can solely (and “soul”y) be carried in his heart. The strength to march forward comes only from the mighty weapon of looking in. The mightiest of warriors look into their soul to discover the faith and hope in God that is needed to fight all wars. To find inner peace and direction to march into the unknown, the greatest of soldiers look into their hearts to become armored in their treasure trove -the present of loved ones’ forever presence.

Material possessions come and go. The irony of cherishing them as wealth is that, most often, their importance and value becomes a fleeting worth. Frequently, we forget or outgrow tomorrow what we feel we can’t live without today. Shouldn’t we, therefore, guide all God’s children to stop looking through store windows to find their treasures and start looking into their hearts and discover blessings money can’t buy, and the world can’t take away?

God’s message to me was plain and simple. No matter how young or old a child of God may be, teach them to see their hearts as the suitcase that carries their most cherished treasures. Let us not forget children learn what they live. Thus, to better guide our children, maybe we grown-ups need to more deeply reflect on, and be reflective of, a soldier marching into war.

I am fully, completely and totally aware of one thing that I am not. Just ask my eldest grandchild, as well as my grown children. This Grammy/Mom is not anywhere near perfect. She makes mistakes. The flaws that my five-year-old grandson picks up on and reminds me of are somewhat comical. Ga’s Ga, you turned at the wrong street. GaGa, better let me fetch your racecar cause you are too slow getting up from the floor. GaGa, that’s not how Mommy fixes my yogurt. GaGa, Daddy gives me OOT’s (dessert) for lunch, too. Etc., etc., etc.,. My children’s reminders are not so comical but, none the less, accurate.

The significant issue is not my many mistakes but rather if my grandchildren, children and I, myself, learn from them. A pie-in-the-sky goal is for me to stop making mistakes. I’m human!! My down to earth hope is that my mistakes lead my family not to misstep in the same manner as I. For you see, I’m of the conviction that my mistakes, not my successes, can be my loved ones’ greatest lesson tool.

Somehow the present-day world seems under the delusion that humans are perfect and not that this crown rests on God alone. Society falsely believes our mistakes are to be ignored or, at least, covered up. Our planet teaches that one should never believe, admit or proclaim to be anything but perfect. This is the Twenty-First Century’s mantra for success, but should it be?

How can family be there for each other, when need is greatest, if mistakes are to be hidden? Children of God cannot love unconditionally if the condition under which they love is perfection. Whether we admit it or not, each and every human being is imperfect. Simply spoken, we are all sinners making mistakes.

In my heart, I desire my successes to inspire my family. In my soul, I long for my mistakes to be the perspiration my family sheds to learn from me. May they labor not to fall prey to my downfalls. Additionally, I yearn for them to cling to the truth that God forgives all mistakes, and family is called to love and grow through each and every one.

To the world, successes define us; but to God mistakes grow us, mature us and refine us. May we all take time to ponder if possibly one of the greatest successes we can own is to own up to our mistakes and work on correcting them as an example for those God most calls us to guide — our grandchildren and children.

The saying goes, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. To this aphorism I’d like to personally add, “it’s not climbing a mountain if you hire a helicopter to drop you off on its peak”. Though intention might be great, aren’t the truths of these maxims the negative reality our world is drowning in today?

The good intentions of not wanting one’s family young people to struggle or go without as much as they did has led so many to deliver on a silver platter the rewards for which they had to soil and toil. A significant majority have wanted their descendants to escape the challenges they had to fight and overcome. Looking at today’s aftermath, we have to wonder and worry if this was good wisdom or bad folly.

It can be argued that success given, but not earned, is not success at all. It is undeserved merit even if it is in the hands of deserving recipients. A $70,000.00 car, freely handed over to a sixteen-year-old, has to that individual only a fraction of the value a $700.00 old beater truck has to a teenager who, himself, earned every penny necessary to secure his treasured set of wheels.

In present day culture, where the vast majority of parents want their children to escape the hardships under which they were burdened, there are diverse opinions as to whether this is prudent or inadvisable. Man can (and does) argue the pros and cons of both sides of this coin. So how do we decipher the better of the two choices? Maybe we should navigate this dilemma by going back to where God calls all Christians to seek and find His wisdom and answers — the Bible.

Within the pages of God’s Word are both hidden and exposed solutions and “soul”utions for all our knowns and unknowns. What insight might be garnered concerning a relentless climb versus the escape of difficulty per a helicopter drop off? For me, personally, one stares me in the face.

Jesus never escaped. He, instead, relied on God’s power and strength to endure and get through all trials and tribulations. Jesus Father’s continual presence and love enabled His son to get through all both heaven and hell put before Him; but God never removed any negative from Christ’s personal journey on earth. Why??? I believe because God knew the greatest success comes by winning a battle not by escaping it.

Let us remember Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. “And going a little farther He fell on His face and prayed, saying ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nonetheless, not as I will, but as You will’.” Matthew 26: 39 (ESV) “Again for the second time, He went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done’.” Matthew 26:42 (ESV) “So leaving them again, He went away and prayed for a third time, saying the same words again.” Matthew 26: 44 (ESV)

Three times Christ asked His parent, God Almighty, to allow Him to escape the greatest challenge facing Him. So why do we not follow God’s example? Why are we human parents so prone to giving in to our children’s whining, repeated requests? Has God’s show of response to repeated requests totally flown over our heads?

Why do you think God did not remove the challenge facing His Son? Most likely, God didn’t do so because only through this challenge having been met and won could Christ fulfill the purpose of His worldly life. What about the children we call ours? Though on a much lesser scale than Jesus, do we as parents rob our sons and daughters of learning and experiencing fortitude, strength, purpose and conquering tribulations by doing as God did not — removing all struggle from their lives?

Could it be that we need to start following in our Father God’s footsteps and stop removing challenges from our children’s paths? Maybe, instead, we need to begin teaching our young people our presence (not our presents) is always with them and that through overcoming their challenges they can, and will, best become who, and achieve what, God created them to be and do.

Raven Feather, my daughter’s beloved Appaloosa mare, now romps the grounds of Heaven. To say the least, Raven, her entire life on earth and beyond, communicates much wisdom and deep love to her entire human clan. Without question, Raven did (and does) lavish sage insight and, at times, comical relief when most needed by her two footed family. Even the paradise of Heaven’s grasslands hasn’t strayed this mare from caring about her family. Take for instance last night.

It’s been a mountainous season for all my kin. Some mountains produce blessings. Others seem the opposite. Our family bag has been a mixture of both. However, undisputable fact is that all mountains give rise to stress, exhaustion and the need to regenerate. When rapid fire mountainous paths bombard, more often than naught, automatic focus and survival become a nonstop, pigeonhole, climbing skirmish. Thus, it’s no surprise Raven Feather needed to redirect her family’s mountain range battle plans.

The heart of Raven’s tidings was, in her own whinny, “You need to take time to walk in green pastures, not just climb mountains”. Let’s ponder these words.

Satan has submerged 2024 in myriads of worldly mountains, continually blocking our heaven bound trails. One after the other, we embark on ascending each and every mountain believing that, in so doing, we are following God’s course for our journey. But are we??? Does God command us to mountains or call us to green pastures??? What’s more, if God has truly called us to a mountain, is our strength to surmount it fueled by our capability of physical endurance, or by God’s gift of spiritual rest in Him and Him alone??? Physical endurance is beating the opposition. Spiritual rest is retreating into unbeatable power — the arms of God.

Even non-Christians can quote the beginning of Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Christians are called not just to quote but also to personify. Do we??? Are we too attached to climbing on our feet to be able to lie down in God’s strength, detach from our own efforts and fasten our challenges, needing to be surmounted, to the power of God??? Is the rock before us or the green pastures beneath us our fueling (and re-fueling) source??? Is our purpose (and, most importantly, God’s purpose for us) seeded, rooted and blossomed by climbing stone or by reclining in green pastures???

The message of Raven’s neigh was directly communicated for Britt, but drops of Raven’s whinny sagely spray over the needs of all my family herd — most likely yours, too!!!

Not a chorus of paragraphs do I write this week. Instead, I feel led to share but a short page — with hopes it leads you, yourself, to compose and ponder your own thoughts.

How often, we all look into the mirror of the past. We long for what used to be. Desiring a return to normalcy and a safer world, most often, circulate nostalgia throughout our blood and bones. But we can’t go back. We must go forward. However, blessings of yesteryear can (and must) pave the way to the future and purpose God created each of us to fill and fulfill.

Gazing into the window of the future, there are so many hazy images. Minds calculate which are to become fact. Hearts wonder will love overcome hate. Souls understand, no matter what, destiny remains heaven bound.

Our humanity cannot foretell the future. Christian security is rooted in believing God does know all that lies ahead. Our Heavenly Father holds all answers and will solve our questions when He deems the moment is at hand. Till then, beneath our feet is the quest to walk the path and climb the mountains God allows before us. In our hands rests God’s charge of turning, re-turning and returning to, the pages of His Word to seek and find His guiding wisdom for ALL times. Within our hearts and souls are rooted the love and hope to follow faithfully wherever God leads.

Is our future really so uncertain? Or is it fully affirmed to be guided and guarded by the One Power who controls all, conquers all and has (and will) never be defeated?

Let us not fear evil destruction but safely rest in Almighty Power and Resurrection.