The Pot Was Boiling

I have struggled with what I felt was Holy Spirit telling me to write about for my blog.  Seriously?  Putting our personal stuff out there?  Then at morning devotions the Guidepost story for today was about anger and how most anger could more accurately be labeled fear.  "Anger is usually fear wearing a scary mask".  My response was, "Okay.  Someone must need to read this............so here goes.

This week, in the late afternoon after a beautiful day spent decorating the house and tree...the boiling pot on the back burner of our lives boiled over.  Unexpectedly.  Surprisingly.  It was sobering. 

I used to tell our kids that often there is a pot on the burner of our lives that is simmering with "stuff" that happens.  Sometimes it gets closer and closer to boiling over and just one last drop in the pot can cause an eruption that makes a mess of things.  That happened to Joel and me this week.....It had us asking, what happened here and why?

Joel and I disagreed on what it meant to put ourselves at risk for a Covid exposure.  I felt he was taking a huge risk and he felt he was minimizing the risk well. We both thought we were on the same page , but turns out we were not and instead of handling it well, fear bubbled over and I became angry and found myself raising my voice.  He reacted and raised his voice and the argument brought us to the worst disagreement we have had in probably 20 years.  We just don't fight.  Yes, we disagree, but we never escalate, raise our voices, or carry on.  When we had Lyme disease we just did not have the energy to get into a boxing ring over anything.  Period.  And we liked it that way......it has worked well for us for the last couple of decades.  

And then...........the pot boiled over.   

Later that evening we sat down and talked about the question we both were asking, "What just happened?"  It is why God has asked us to be transparent here,  sharing it for the world to see.  Because I expect the past two years have had all our pots simmering on the stove at higher levels than normal.  The pandemic is something new for all of us.  The fear, worry, caution, isolation, division, death and disease, has taken a toll.  For us, add to it the continual medical marathon with my body and the daily managing of the lymphedema and fractured ribs and maybe we have reasons for the pot to be boiling.  Yep.  And I expect we all have more than one issue that has kept our pots boiling or at least simmering on the burner of life. It is obvious with the increase of violence in the streets and on airplanes alone that many are not handling it so well....this season of conflict, disease, death, and even loneliness.

So, how do we become more aware.  When we are thinking we are really handling it all so well.......being the stoic, independent, determined people we are.....we sometimes miss the warning signs of when we are at the point of "enough is enough".

In our circumstance, Joel and I first apologized to each other, forgave each other, forgave ourselves, and then took it before God and repented.  For us all those steps were important.  And then we sat down and discussed whether we had missed any warning signs that brought us to the "boiling point".  And just how are we taking care of ourselves in the midst of it all?  

Our journey is challenging some days, to say the least.  So is yours.  And yours.  And yours,,,,,,,,,,,, The scriptures tell us over and over...........'Fear not".........."I am with you"............  Don't let the sun set on your anger..........." Trust in the Lord your God".............

I don't begin to understand why this pandemic continues to bring sickness and death.  I don't begin to understand the political climate in our government the past decade,  On a personal level I don't understand why something else keeps coming up to fight in my body.  But I do understand that God is with us.  He is faithful.  He will work all things out for good.  This week the Advent candle is Peace.  We all need a little peace, don't we.  And our peace comes in Jesus.  He is our peace. 

There is someone who needs to hear my words today.  Holy Spirit has told me to put this out there for this person to read.  He loves you that much.  He wants you to hear...........:Fear not.  I am with you,  Let it go.  Release the fear and anger.  Receive His love and peace.  The pot will stop boiling..........Trust Me. (God)"

What are we all doing to keep the pot from boiling?  

Warring Sandals and Words of Praise

I woke up with a feeling of anxiety anchored  right in the pit of my stomach.  When did I let go of my peace?  That is a question Pastor Bill Johnson asks himself when he feels any anxiety or undo stress.  Where did I leave my peace?  Anxiety and fear are really the enemy's tools to keep us separated from God, the Lord of Peace and Truth.

I sat quietly with Joel that morning and waited for God......immediately I heard a melody in my head but I could not come up with one word of the lyrics.  I hummed the melody to Joel and he came up with one word.....Lord.  Then eventually  a phrase...."Lord, listen to your children praying..."  With the help of google we came up with an old 70's song........

I closed my eyes again and saw on my feet, unusual sandals.  I asked Him what kind of sandals they were and heard the word "warring".  I then saw a sword in my hand, that turned into a Bible.  The pages of the Bible were turning on their own by a wind.....a Spirit wind I expect.  I heard "Jeremiah" and then "33".  I don't often get scriptures this way, but Joel and I read chapter 33 that morning and I am spending time meditating and studying the chapter and what God wants me to learn from it. I expect it has something to do with the words that jumped out at me in verse 11...."Praise GOD........"  and "sacrifice of praise".  

I confess that part of me wants to say, "enough already"!  Enough with the warring and the praise...but evidently I am still to use praise as a weapon of warfare in my current circumstances.  Get my focus off the problem and on to the solution.  Our Lord really has supplied so many tools for us to walk through life and praise is one mentioned over and over in the Bible.  

I have been reading Ana Werner's new book, "Seeing Behind The Veil" this week.  She mentions often the importance of praise and worship.  It seems to shake up the enemy and his crew of vultures when we praise the name of our God most high.  He hates it.  Not only does it have a devastating affect on Satan but it also centers us as we remember how great is our God!

In some ways, everything we do or say can be a form of worship.  Whether we are taking care of our family, working at a computer, teaching students, sweeping floors, or giving a sermon, we are God's hands and His voice.  We are honoring Him in all we do.  A form of worship and praise.  

So let's just praise the Lord......life our voice to heaven and praise the Lord in gratitude. Another old worship song!   Jeremiah spoke God's words in chapter 33...

" .......the voice of those who will say,

Praise the Lord of hosts

foe the Lord is good

And His mercy endures forever.

and those who will bring the sacrifice of praise 

into the house of the Lord......."

Jeremiah 33:11

Saturday's Scribbles

The sun is shining today and the temperatures are, well, they are dang cold!  We are using the fireplace, cranking up the furnace and I'm bundling up in sweats and wool socks.  Hello...........  Tomorrow we are getting snow again.   Six to eight inches are forecast for our area.  Seriously, this is so wrong.  Just where has Spring gone?

I expect we all have at one time or another been looking for Spring to arrive!  Spring filled with flowers and warm temperatures, and Spring filled with a change of circumstances, all of us eager to leave a winter season behind.

Our oldest daughter mentioned to me recently a time when she was in college and could not afford to go on a "Spring break".  A couple of her friends came to stay with us and we decided to have our own Florida experience.  It was winter, but we cranked up the heat, decorated our grandfather clock to look lie a palm tree, added a few "tropical" foods and decorations and put on summer clothes.  We could not change her circumstances, but did the best to create fun and joy right where we were.  Creating spring in the midst of winter.

Guess we need to do the same here in the Midwest.  Keeping our joy on while dealing with yet more snow.  Keeping our joy on while in the midst of unwelcome circumstances.  God is in the midst of our winter seasons.  He brings sunshine to our days and SONshine to our circumstances.....He reminds us that victory is ours.!  We live in hope for better days.  Spring is coming

Warfare Worship

This morning as I quietly mediated an angel appeared in my mind.  He was big and powerful and barefoot!  He turned around and began walking with purpose down a hallway.  As he walked he pushed with his right hand on a door to the right flinging it open to reveal bright light that hurt the eyes.  He continued forward and pushed open another door revealing the same light, and then yet a third where he stopped and stood quietly.

As he opened these doors I walked behind him and at the first door I stood and lifted my hands and said one word......Hallelujah.  At the second door I again stopped and lifted my arms and said, "We praise you Jesus".  At the third door the light was so so brilliant and powerful I got down on my knees and gave thanks.  I heard the words, "Worthy is the Lamb! Worthy is the Lamb!"  The angel then disappeared.

Over the past few months the concept of praise being a mighty weapon of warfare has continued to "hound" me.  In devotionals, on Facebook, during Bethel teachings, and as of late, in Havilah Cunnington's new book "Stronger Than the Struggle" due for release on January 9th.  Havilah is a leader, teacher, and pastor at Bethel Church and School, and I am part of her large book launch team,  I am enjoying very much an e-copy of the book. One thing she talked about "warfare-worship" and it certainly resonated within me.  Today's meditation during my quiet time only affirms to me the need for praise and worship.

Here is an idea (not mine)!  Everything we do is a form of worship to our Lord if we release it all to him.  From the mundane to the miraculous we worship our creator with our words and actions.  OR...we do not.  There are only two choices.   Besides the mundane or the miraculous, there are times we need worship to be a form of warfare.

When we were at Bethel and received the prophetic words at our private personal session, one of the people asking God for words for us told us that when mountains come to us (and we all face them ) we will laugh with joy when we stand before them BECAUSE we know what is coming.  We know that God's promises to us are on the other side.  We laugh because the joy of the Lord is our strength.  I confess that this year has sometimes been difficult for us with a few health mountains, and, too, the struggle to know where we belong.  My first reaction is not always to laugh with joy.  It is not to praise.  My words and actions do not always proclaim how good my God is.  Guess that makes me pretty human.   

But if praise is a weapon of warfare....if warfare-worship holds the power it did for Jehoshaphat to win a battle against many forces and for Jacob to break down the walls of Jericho, we best take notice.  If God tells us to intentionally worship and praise, we best be obedient.  "Praise is the highway to the throne of God".

Worship positions us for intimacy with God.  Worship positions us to keep our focus on the One, while doing battle because the Lord does fight for us.  Sometimes we are told to stand firm, sword in hand, alert and courageous in the battle with the enemy.  Sometimes we are told to rest and trust Him to fight for us.  Sometimes we are told to praise him, doing warfare-worship by lifting our voices, our hearts in praise to the One.  For, as I was told this morning....worthy is the Lamb!  Worthy is the Lamb!!!