Ash Wednesday

Dear Lord,

Ashes across my forehead; don’t wash them off!
Forge them into my brain; tattoo them onto my skin.

After church
I wore the ashes to the supermarket, somewhat unconscious of their presence.
As I smiled and said “You first” to an exhausted mother balancing baby and groceries,
I was suddenly conscious of my ashes. The condemning thought was the radical hurt to Christ if I had barged selfishly ahead, ignoring her need, while wearing the ashes.

But Lord, I am always wearing the ashes; sometimes more live and conscious than others.

Thank you for this defining dust.
Perhaps I should daily dust your invisible ashes onto my forehead as a reminder to show the world your cross of salvation and your light of love for everyone.

“After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied.” (Isaiah 53:11)

Humbly and gratefully,
Your child

Reflection on Amazing Grace (Hand-full of Grace: Just enough and Just in Time)

While reflecting I realized that “by grace are ye saved” (Ephesians 2:8), but God continues to dispense daily grace, like the manna of old—just enough and just in time. Grace weaves our tapestry, designs the Artist’s mosaic and spins the wheel fashioning the potter’s clay.

We are hand-woven. We are covered by grace. We are cloaked in its loving protection like Joseph in his coat of many colors. You may ask why just a hand-full of grace. Grace is, of course, measureless and uncontainable. Just as my grandmother lovingly measured out her ingredients by the handful, so do we receive God’s grace dispensed from his hand.

Isaiah 49:16 reminds us that he has inscribed us on the back of his hands. According to Psalm 37:24 although we stumble we shall never fall “for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” If we come with open hands as a child with his mother, God will hold the one while filling the other with his grace. Psalm 139:5, 6 describes that “you hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”

Eternity's Anteroom

Waiting together in eternity’s anteroom
Practicing praise hymns, glorifying God.
Shedding mortal pain, emancipating selfish ego.
Talking with loved ones, longing for Jesus.

Vision grows far-sighted with age.
We can see the world through your eyes.
Your eternal view filters our lenses.
We see our blindness of your beauty.

We sing “How great thou art”!
“When we’ve been there ten thousand years we will have only just begun”.
Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name!

Angels accompany us to our appointment.
You hand us joy as we journey to meet you.
All our lives we anticipate the appointed time!

Lord, we invite all of your children to wait with us.
There are endless benches.
You sent invitation to Heaven.
You sent us your Son.

Father, we beg to work while waiting in the anteroom.
We yearn to invite all your children to this eternal celebration.
We wait, ready to do your will.

How well God must like you

Psychology from Psalms One

But, God, how could you like me? I avoid you, fail you, hide from you resist you. I often have such trouble liking myself. As I see myself through your eyes you give me permission to like myself. You like me because I don’t purposely hang out with sin and seek counsel from the wicked; I don’t stand in with sinners; I am not smart-mouthed. Instead, I thrill to God’s Word and “chew on Scripture day and night.

Sometimes I am amazed at you, how you cope with your children who are “know it alls” at times. In your eyes we are stuck in power struggles of sophomoric adolescence. We insist that our way is better.

You love us because you see the finished product in Christ and look beyond our attitude problems. Lord, help us also to look beyond the attitude problems of others. Help us to remember Jude l:24-25 : “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” What a miracle to anticipate, being presented to God without fault and in great joy!

"Yahweh charts the road you take”. Therefore, my God, please adjust my GPS accordingly. Then I will be like a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month…always in blossom. (Psalms 1:3,6)

Packing for the Trip

Beside an empty suitcase
And undated ticket
I begin the “to do” list,
Packing for the trip.

I ponder, reflect,
Prepare for Heaven,
My journey home

I’ll stay there forever.
What do I need?
How much time do I have?

I pack God’s promises
To shepherd and comfort me.
I pack trust
In His peace
To calm any fear.

Remembering, I gently stuff my
Dog-eared Bible in one corner,
Wishing I had studied it more,
Was better prepared,
Used too many Cliff notes along the way.

I pack beloved pictures
Of the smiling faces
Sure to greet me
As I cross the river.

I tenderly tuck in
Photos of loved ones,
Covered with my pride and passion.
Tiny tears of separation
Stain this stack of pictures.

I pack faith in God’s promise that our children and theirs
Will follow God on the same path, enlightened by joy.
I pack the hope that many “much prayed for” souls
Will join our joyous throng.

I take light for the darkness,
Joy for the morning,
Confession for disobedience.
I am marching to hymns of praise as I walk home to meet my God.