Green Tree or Tumbleweed?

Use your imagination with me for a minute. Can you picture in your mind a beautiful tree, fresh and green, planted in a lush garden?

Palm trees at the beach

Now imagine the opposite. Desolate land with fried tumbleweed blowing about aimlessly. Think about those images for a minute.

Chad and I just celebrated our 15^th wedding anniversary. For the first time since our girls were born, we took a few days off together for the sole purpose of getting away to relax and reconnect. We were amazed at how restful five days without our normal routine could be. Several days after we got home, Chad mentioned to me, “I see you” again. 

Upon reflection, I think that is what God intends the Sabbath to be, a time for us to see Him clearly again. When we take time to rest and tune into God, our minds clear, priorities realign. We have time to listen to what he wants to say to us. We are mindful of the still, small, voice of his spirit, and it’s direction. In fact, God knows our spirits need this rest and reconnection with him so much that he COMMANDS us to do it. The fourth commandment God gave Moses is “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy”.

Our culture pushes us to work faster, harder more. Through computers and PDAs we can be “always on”. We think somehow that if we don’t keep plowing through our days, that the work won’t get accomplished. Jeremiah 17:5-8 says this:

“God’s Message: Cursed is the strong one who depends on mere humans,

Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and sets God aside as dead weight.

He’s like a tumbleweed on the prairie, out of touch with the good earth.

He lives rootless and aimless in a land where nothing grows.

But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God.

They’re like trees planed in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers-

Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf,

Serene and calm throughout droughts, bearing fresh fruit in every season.”
(The Message)

Later in the chapter, he goes on to give some very stern warnings about keeping the Sabbath holy “This is God’s message. Be careful, if you care about your lives, not to desecrate the Sabbath by turning it into just another work day”.  The repercussions of not following his word are dire. I encourage you to read Jeremiah 17 to see what he has to say.

Now believe me, I do not stand before you as someone who has mastered this art of Sabbath rest!  But it is an issue God has been working on in my heart over the last few months. There are certainly seasons of life where it can be difficult, if not impossible, to completely walk away from your obligations. However, I think there are steps ALL of us can take to slow down. Here are a few quick tips that I find helpful:

-       PLAN ahead for a restful day- literally remove some distractions from view. If that means making sure your kitchen is clean on Saturday afternoon, or that pile of work that’s been staring you down needs to get moved, do it! Get things arranged so they can sit for a day. I know of one family who tries to have their table set and a meal prepared and ready to pop in the oven by Saturday night so they can have a restful meal together on Sunday. If you need to, create some routines that will allow you to take one day “off”.

-       Turn off the technology: the phone, the news, Facebook. Believe me, the world will still be there waiting for you.

-       Take a break from whatever it is you see as “work”

-       Remember, the mere absence of work does not mean you’re focusing on God, either. Take time to worship, pray, read your Bible, take a walk. Reconnect with Him.

Of course, I’ve barely scratched the surface here. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to watch the 24/6 videos on RightNow media for more ideas on the importance of the Sabbath and keeping it holy.  

I don’t know about you, but I want to be like a tree planted in Eden, not tumbleweed!

How do you relax and reconnect with God?

We Pray for Children

As a mom and sponsor of not enough children, this poem touched my heart. I hope it will yours as well:

"We Pray for Children" by Ina J. Hughs

We pray for children who sneak popsicles before supper,
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes. 

And we pray,
for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
who never "counted potatoes,"
who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead,
who never go to the circus, who live in an X-rated world. 

Ethiopian children behind barbed wire

We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
Who sleep with the cat and bury goldfish,
Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money,
Who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink,
Who slurp their soup.

Well worn stuffed hippos, "Hip Hip" and "Happy"

And we pray for those who never get dessert,
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
who watch their parents watch them die,
who can't find any bread to steal,
who don't have any rooms to clean up,
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
whose monsters are real. 

ICCM sponsored children eating rice

 We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
who like ghost stories,
who shove dirty clothes under the bed, and never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy,
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool,
who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone,
whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry. 

Little girl jumping into the water

And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything,
who have never seen a dentist,
who aren't spoiled by anybody,
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
who live and move, but have no being. 

Smiling Ethiopian girl

We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must,
for those we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance.

For those we smother…and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it. 

We pray for children. Amen

This poem was shared in a newsletter from International Childcare Ministries (ICCM), www.childcareministries.org. They also get credit for the beautiful black and white images above.  ICCM advocates for the spiritual, educational, physical, and social development of children by partnering with the global Free Methodist Church through sponsorships, scholarships and creative initiatives. May God continue to bless their work, and the work of similar organizations seeking to share His love with those He loves so much!

On a side note, if you've ever wondered if child sponsorship really works, check out this groundbreaking study http://www.christianitytoday.com/ In case you don't have time to read the whole article, the short answer can be summed up in one glorious word: YES!!!! With God's help, we can change the world one child at a time! If you have questions about child sponsorship, I'm not an expert, but would be happy to share our personal experience, answer what I can, and get you pointed in the right direction.

I hope that you'll join me today in praying for children today: those God has put in our lives and in our homes, and those we may never meet this side of heaven, but need our prayers, love and support. 

Credit for color photos, Chad Olson