Robin's Nest

 

Our world is highly anxious and so easily panicked.

But, take heart. Spring is about to bloom. In fact it already has. An article in my local paper, “Out of tragedy springs opportunity,” proves there is always something good and wonderful happening.

Jesus’ tells us that a true neighbor is someone who stops to help another. Especially in the midst of pain and unsure times.

That’s what happened in February as hundreds of neighbors gathered to support the Manka family whose son, Jacob, died last spring. His dad said, “There’s a lot of love in this building … And yes, it does help. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring but we know that we have people who care and are praying for our family. So, yeah, it’s definitely helpful.”

There were neighbors in need and neighbors who stopped to help. Jacob’s spirit, his passion to help others, is quite alive. And I believe Jacob was loved well too. He’s still making a difference because that’s what love does.

With tons of negative media out there, we need to hold on to these good stories, these God stories. Like another I hear from a friend who’s helping Nashville rise up from the tornado that hit a couple weeks ago.

“As I worked as a crisis counselor yesterday, in the most devastated area after the tornadoes, I heard over and over how neighbors are helping neighbors. One person said ‘It doesn’t matter what color they are, what party they voted for, they are humans in need just like us.’”

Ya’ll, Nashville and my hometown are showing us what neighborliness is all about. I bet yours is too.

Hide these stories in your heart. This is how we change our communities and our world. With kindness and compassion, we are the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus.

“We the people” break down dividing walls and rise strong together.

Death and devastation don’t get the last word. The cross is empty. And because Hope rose, we have the power to redeem. We have the tenacity to use pain for good purpose. By putting love’s energy into the living, we serve well and suffer well.

Yes, out of tragedy springs opportunity.

❤😎🙏🏻☮

“I imagine Lent for you and me as a great departure from the greedy, anxious anti-neighborliness of our economy, a great departure from our exclusionary politics that fear the other, a great departure from self-indulgent consumerism that devours creation. And then an arrival in a new neighborhood, because it is a gift to be simple, it is a gift to be free; it is a gift to come down where we ought to be.

Self-giving God, call us to walk the road of newness—a new self, a new society, a new world, one neighbor at a time. May we have traveling mercies this Lenten season. Amen.” ~ Walter Brueggamann

 

Photo from Pixabay.com

So.much.Fear.

Everywhere. In every conversation. On every news channel and social media site.

 

Viruses. Violence. Economy. Environment. Government.

Oh my, this wide world.

And my gut reaction is to run, isolate, and eat Cheetos.

As if.

That’s helpful. Or empowering. Or adult.

Let’s be honest. It’s easy to hide but that’s where we get in trouble. That’s where care and concern become fret and worry or we numb out and disengage. Either way, we give the “What ifs” all our power.

What if the Coronavirus …  What if my child … What if my job… What if the earth … What if the elections … WhatifWhatifWhatif …

And we spin and spiral and lose perspective. I read that 85% of what we worry about never happens.* That’s time we’ll never get back, wasted on worry.

So, what do we do? We look up. Because God’s there holding our What ifs. We release the need for control and let go:

➡ God, if  I get sick … I’ll be okay.

➡ God forbid, but if  my child gets hurt … we’ll be all right.

➡ God, if  I lose money … we’re gonna make it.

➡ God, if the earth crumbles … it’s gonna work out.

➡ God, if they’re elected again … we really will survive.

The next time we worry, let’s change our What ifs to God, if. This isn’t just positive thinking. It’s powerful thinking. It’s faith that says “No matter what, my hope—my confident trust— is in You.”

We remember Jesus is “… far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.”

Elevating our thoughts, elevates Jesus, and Jesus elevates us.

“For God raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.”

Wow. Now that’s power.

~ Sweet Jesus, Savior and Redeemer, it seems the world’s on fire. Thank you, we are never alone. We sit, stand, and walk into our power with you. We surrender fear and worry so we are free to love and encourage. We are grateful for peace and strength.  For this day and for the days to come ~ Amen ☮❤🙌🏼

 

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you with hope and confident expectation. Trust in the Lord forever ~ for the Lord is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:3-4 

 

Ephesians 1:21-22, Ephesians 2:6

*Barbara Roose, Winning the Worry Battle

Photo from: www.Pixabay.com

 

 

I have a knack for complicating things.

Like last week, when I had three writing deadlines and I spilled water on my computer’s keyboard. Or that time I grabbed a bag of dry beans from the top shelf and didn’t see the gaping hole. Beans bounced off my head, skittered across the kitchen tile, and cascaded all the way through the dining room and into the hallway.

Four months later, I’m still finding beans. Sometimes, I think it’s my super power. To take something simple and make it messy.

I believe we do the same thing in our relationship with God. We complicate it. We feel like there’s always something more we should be doing. Like it’s never enough.

This restlessness can come from a good place. Our hearts simply want to serve him and help people and be faithful with the days he gives us. So with these good motives, why does our faith get so frustrating?

Because we think we have to do something big, shiny, and epic. We think we have to sound Christian-y and have all the right answers and do all the right things. There’s all these religious rules and traditions and expectations. And all those darn boxes to check. They suck the joy right out of our faith, don’t they?

When all God wants is a relationship. Simple. Uncomplicated. Un-boxed.

What if he’s saying, “Be still. Stop striving. See Me. Then see your people. Reconnect with your passions. Be content in those places I put you. Your everyday doing and being is your purpose.”

In Jesus’ ministry, we see this holy noticing. In his everyday interactions and conversations with God and with people. Regular people like us. Who don’t want a set of rules, but who want a Savior. And we know he delights in our serving and giving, but what’s most important is what he wants to do for us. He is the Giver of Life, real abundant life.

And he shows us what is big, shiny, and epic.

To love God and love people. The best we know how. It’s not always that easy but it is that simple.

^“But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously- take God seriously.” ~ Micah 6:8 ❤✌🏼😎🙏🏼

 

🎶 Enjoy one of my favorite songs. And dance. Dancing is good  💃🏼🕺🏼

 

 

                                                     “Be still and know I am God.” ~ Pslam 46:10

 

Oh my. The sunrise. Did you see the sky God painted for us today?

Some mornings, I do. Might even snap a picture for my blog or text my husband. Then move on. But today, I stopped.

Like really stopped.

It wasn’t easy to resist the urge to pick up my phone and rush toward the next thing.

That next thing always seems so darn urgent, doesn’t it?

I told myself to slow down … to stay in the moment. To quiet my jumping-ahead thoughts and get off the hamster wheel.

Not just on the outside but on the inside.

I stopped to soak in the silent power spreading from east to west.

Pinks and purples, blues and  grays.

What a gift we have in this ancient rhythm that meets us every morning and invites us to start our day by stopping.

To rest and delight.

Because all around us the world spins and speeds and before we know it we’re caught up and ramped up with it. Because society totally accepts hyper-drive and exhaustion and multi-tasking as necessary to acquire and accomplish.

Some of us wear all this doingdoingdoing as a badge of honor.  Like stress and burn-out and worry are to be expected. Like anxiety should be normalized and even accepted as part of who we are. And the chaos, though quite jarring, is oh-so sneaky.

It’s easy to see how it messes with our mind but what about our body? It is dis-eased as it reacts to the busybusyloudloudrushrushrush… and we forget to stop and breathe and …

just.be.still.

And protect our internal rhythm.

The one telling us it’s time to slow our roll … and ssshhh  … for a few minutes and notice something we haven’t really seen in a while.

To talk less. Think less. Worry less. 

Because there’s more than science to the sunrise. This circadian rhythm reminds us to take rest into our work. So we won’t be tossed about by deadlines. We carry this rest into our conversations so we won’t get ticked off by snarky people and messy situations.

We remember Who’s in control. So we can let go of our day. And start it connected, with our inner life protected.

And to striving and anxiousness, to the weight of feeling responsible for everything and everyone.…

We say, “Nope. Not this day.”

And we pray.

God, we are grateful. That day after day after day, You wait to restore our rest. Teach us to stay in it and protect it so we can be a non-anxious presence in this fast and furious, wonderful world.

☮🙏🏽😎❤

 

 

Photo from Pixabay.com