Three years ago today, my mom went to her eternal home in heaven. Naturally, thoughts of home are at the top of my mind this week.
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My mom spent a lot of time in the kitchen of my childhood home, cooking for her family of nine hungry people.
If Easter didn’t happen, we would all be in an eternally sad state of hopelessness. But—and of course this is the “but” upon which the entire course of history pivots—Easter did happen.
And because of that, we do have hope—in our joy, in our grief, in our anxiety, in our uncertainty. On our best days and our worst days. During the seasons of life that seem to go on forever and those that seem to be over before they’ve even started.
We were in the market for new seating for our family room a few years ago.
We had some pretty specific specifications in mind. We wanted a couch or sectional that could comfortably seat four people who are watching a television show. It needed to be firm but not too hard. Wide enough but still have ample room to open doors on either side.
Happy spring! I am a lover of winter, but even I have my limits. Here’s to daffodils and peony shoots and birds chirping loudly in the morning.
My college girl and I were busy thrifting and running errands and visiting an art gallery and French pastry shop last week, so I didn’t have much time to come up with the usual Four Somethings for this monthly linkup.
I missed a gorgeous sunrise the other day. It was during my younger daughter’s spring break, so my schedule was already a little wonky. Randy was home sick, which made it even more so.
I finally got outside to run just when the sky was finishing its glorious display. As I gazed at the last vestiges of gold and mauve bouncing off scattered clouds, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Beautiful dawns don’t happen every day, and it had been a while since I’d seen one.
This week of all weeks—when it seems like so much is going wrong and getting worse—I would have welcomed this visible reminder of God’s magnificence, creativity and immutability.
And yet, as I craned my neck to see the fading splendor behind me, I knew in my heart that even when the heavens aren’t displaying the glory of God in a way that meets my expectations, He is still very much on His eternal throne.
It reminds me of a Psalm I read a few weeks ago. Since dawn is my word of the year, verses that mention sunrise or dawn or morning catch my eye these days. The rest of the chapter seems timely, too, for many reasons.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord. (Psalm 113)
Whatever is going on in the world, at the gas pump and grocery store, in our churches and even on social media, God is sovereign over it. I can’t offer any commentary to put it all—or even a tiny part of it—in perspective, but I can say this.
No matter what happens, praising God for who He is and what He has done is always a good response.
From dawn to dusk. Come what may. Praise the Lord.
And, if given the chance, testify to God’s goodness in your life. For example, this Saturday is our 28th wedding anniversary. After all this time, Randy and I are still in it for the long haul.
Truly, God has settled this “childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children.” And I couldn’t be more grateful.
♥ Lois
Even when the heavens aren’t displaying the glory of God in a way that meets my expectations, He is still very much on His eternal throne. Share on X No matter what happens, praising God for who He is and what He has done is always a good response. Share on XP.S. I’m linking up this week with OneWord2022, #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Recharge Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.
I haven’t confirmed it, but I have a feeling Philippians 1:6 is underlined in every Bible I’ve ever owned:
“I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (HCSB)
This verse was a particular favorite during my teen and early adult years. When things weren’t working out according to my plan, I could rest in the confidence that God wasn’t done with me yet, that He would finish whatever He had initiated in my life—in His way and in His timing.
Lately, Philippians 1:6 has come to mind frequently as I think about loved ones who long to know what’s ahead, who sometimes struggle to see a way forward, who grow weary in doing what they know is right.
God finishes what He starts, the Apostle Paul makes this clear. A specific work may take a few weeks or months, or it may encompass an entire lifetime. But if it originates with God, it will get done—one way or another.
That said, God’s good works don’t necessarily correspond to our wishes, preferences or even our heart’s desires. They don’t always result in health, wealth and happiness. Pruning, shaping, molding, opportunities to grow in patience, kindness and endurance—these are all good works that don’t always feel very good.
As hard as it is to undergo a spiritual “procedure” like this ourselves, it can be even more difficult to watch a loved one go through it. There’s no hurrying up of the process; there’s so much that has to be left up to God’s timeline and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
The good news is, if we’ve experienced the good work of God in our lives and perhaps even lived long enough to see some fruit come from it, we—like the Apostle Paul—can be confident about it for others. We can hold on to the hope that God will complete what He has started in them, even if they can’t see it ever happening.
Not that anyone has to see it for it to be true, of course. It’s biblical truth, not wishful thinking.
This reminds me of Eugene Peterson’s book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. It’s a great book, for sure, but the title is a wonderful message all by itself.
This long obedience often looks and feels different in your sixth decade than it does in your third or fourth, however.
When we’re younger, it’s hard to wait for God to work. It’s hard to trust in what He has willed and planned, as the song says. It’s still tough as we get older, but we have more history to look back on. We can see evidence of God’s goodness and faithfulness sprinkled throughout our lives, even during our seasons in the wilderness.
Sometimes we have to squint to see it, but it’s there.
Especially now, when we have so many legitimate reasons to be discouraged or despondent, Paul’s words to the Philippians bear repeating until they are firmly entrenched in our hearts:
“I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
♥ Lois
God finishes what He starts. A specific work may take a few weeks or months, or it may encompass an entire lifetime. But if it originates with God, it will get done—one way or another. Share on X If we’ve experienced the good work of God in our lives, we can be confident about it for others—that He will complete what He has started in them, even if they can’t see it ever happening. Share on XP.S. I’m linking up this week with #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Recharge Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.