Stepping out of the boat and walking toward Jesus was probably easy for Peter at first (Matthew 14:25-33); but when the wind started blowing, what had been simple quickly became an impossible task.  The water was beginning to cover his ankles and was rising steadily.  In panic, he realized  he was going to drown in the boisterous sea if something did not happen quickly. His trust to pursue the impossible vanished in the midst of adversity.

Many times we widows, like Peter, “walk on water,” but adversity comes and suddenly we begin to sink.  We see the storm, feel the waves lapping around our ankles, and despair for our very existence.  However, we should learn from Peter the solution to our agony.  He cried, “Lord, save me!”  Rather than our pondering the distress, strong winds necessitate quick action: call to Jesus.  He is our only help when life’s situations seem impossible and adversity is raging.  

In  Peter’s situation, Jesus stretched out His hand and saved him. Jesus will do the same for us.  If we will call to Him in our crisis, He wants to save us before we are overtaken by the winds and waves.  However, His sustaining Peter did not cause all of the winds to immediately cease.  The wind only ceased after Peter had conquered the storm with the help of Jesus.  Have you ever wondered how Peter went back to the boat?  Did Jesus pick him up and carry him back to the boat?  I honestly do not believe that happened.  Instead, I believe Jesus, who was a master teacher and was teaching Peter through the experience, took Peter by the hand and walked him to the boat.  Peter still had to walk on the rough waves, but now he could do it because he was holding onto Jesus, his only hope. 

If you feel that life’s wind is about to blow you into the cresting waves of adversity, call to Jesus.  He is waiting to take your hand and help you walk through your despair to the safety of hope in Him.  Jesus will never leave you alone to drown in life’s storms.  Take the hand of your Savior, for with Him by your side you can walk on water too.

Sitting in my dentist’s office, I often watch hummingbirds approach the feeder outside.  I am totally amazed at how quickly they move and how fast their wings are flapping.  Everything about them seems to be in a frenzy.  Hummingbirds do not seem to know anything about waiting, resting, or relaxing.  Maybe that is why they are not mentioned in the Bible.  Everything about their behavior is contrary to God’s instructions for our daily lives.

However, repeatedly Scriptures do mention birds and one airborne creature seems to serve as an example of how we should live – the eagle.  Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) says, “Those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”   Upon reading this, I cannot help but wonder what is so special about the way eagles fly.  All birds flap their wings to fly, but what do eagles do that is unique?  Why do we need to “mount up with wings like eagles”?  Why do we not need to “mount up” with wings like hummingbirds?

One gaze at the flight of an eagle as compared to a hummingbird would quickly answer this question.  Eagles soar on the wind.  In an hour of flight time, an eagle will only flap its wings about two minutes.  The rest of the time an eagle is spreading its wings and resting on the power of the wind.  A hummingbird, on the other hand, flaps its wings at a rate of 600 to 4800 times per minute.  This small bird is exerting so much energy staying in flight  it must make its repeated trips to its food source just to stay alive.  Everything about this small bird is hard at work, never resting.  This little creature is all about struggling for survival, minute by minute.

However, we should not be hummingbirds; we need to behave as eagles.  All we need to do is spread our wings and rest on the power of the wind which in the Scripture is a symbol for God the Holy Spirit.  Rarely, do we need to flap; all we need is to ride on the power of His wind.  This wind will cause us to soar above storms and to rest when all beneath us are flapping with all they have.  That is why eagles do not tire easily; they are allowing the wind to be energy which propels them wherever they go.

So the next time you are tempted to flap with all your might and exert all of your energy in trying to stay aloft, remember the eagle.  Rest on the power of God’s Spirit in your life and He will take you where He needs you to be.  

           

Hide and seek is one of the favorite games of young children, but do adults play it too?  Do we conceal ourselves, the woman that God created us to be, behind a veneer of “What I Think I Should Be”?  Do I costume myself to blend with the scenery so that I am hiding from God and everyone else?  Did God create me to pretend to be someone else and not myself? 


When God created Adam and Eve, he ordained that they live in the Garden in complete honestly and freedom to be exactly who He had made them to be.  However, with original sin came the human instinctive desire to hide from God and from others.  No longer could man and woman walk openly, hiding nothing; instead, mankind became a group of professional “hiders.”

Through God’s redemptive plan, He has called:  “Come out; come out; wherever you are!”  He has called us to reveal ourselves – our sins, our hurts, and our desires, so that He can bring restoration to our lives through the sacrifice of His Son.  If we will own our needs, He can bring new life through the healing power of the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.         Only through the confession of our need can He begin the process of restoration.  The need to hide, a direct result of our sin nature, separates us from God who can make all things new again in our lives.

Not only do we hide from God, but also we hide from other people.  We mask ourselves in costumes of happiness and success when our hearts are breaking within us and our lives seem to be totally out of control.  We may be on a downward spiral, but no one is ever allowed to see our falling.  We hide it so well!  God never intended for us to live this way.  He wants us to be connected with others in healthy relationships.  That is why Paul uses the analogy of a body to describe the church in a letter to the Corinthians.  We need connection, and from that connection flows strength, healing, and powerful life.  Isolation will destroy; connection will sustain us.

So do we need to hide?  NO!  For our survival, we need to run to God, expose our needs, and receive His healing. And we should never neglect making connections with other believers and confessing that we are not superwomen so that God’s sustaining grace can be ministered to our hearts through the Body of Christ.  No longer should we pretend to be what we are not.  God is calling us to stop the hiding so that He can begin our healing.  I hear God calling to me again today: “Come out; come out; wherever you are!”  He wants to commune with me.

 

A brownie, surely that will fix this situation – well maybe it will take two.  I really need some comfort today.

Comfort – all need it, but where can we find it?  Some seek it in food; others in relationships; others in a visit to a medical professional.  However, none of these sources has the comfort that we seek for the hole in our heart.  We need comfort which can reach the depths of our soul, and we need it now!

Jesus knew the pain that goes with grief and the need for comfort; consequently, He talked with His disciples about this the night before He died.  In John 13-17, Jesus revealed to His close companions the fact of His death and final instructions for their lives.  Even with Jesus still in their presence, grief began to grip His disciples.  He could not really be leaving – what would they do now?  Jesus gave them answers which apply to our lives today.

First of all, He declared  He was not leaving them as orphans (John 14:18).  Even though the disciples felt they were being deserted with no one to guide them and care for them, Jesus said something which seemed paradoxical to them.  He said I am dying, but I am coming to you.  How could He be going and coming at the same time?
These men were really confused now!

In John 14:26 and again in John 16:5-6, Jesus explains to the disciples  He was leaving, but His going was actually beneficial to them.  In His leaving, the Holy Spirit would now come to live in the lives of the believers.  Jesus was limited by time and space. If He were in Bethany, He could not be in Jerusalem.  He was in a human body, so He took on the limitations of that body.  However, the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus calls the Comforter or Helper, could dwell in the hearts of all believers everywhere at the same time.  Now every believer has the benefit of God dwelling in his or her heart continually.  We truly have “God with us.”

 As Christian widows, the Holy Spirit can be the comfort  we need to face each new day.  Our hearts hurt and need healing; we are lonely and seek a friend; we are looking for comfort and counsel.  The source of all of these can be found in the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Truly, He can mend our hearts, be our friend, and comfort our souls. 

Some times a little comfort food is good, connections with others are important, and medical professionals are beneficial, but the only real healing for our heart will come as God the Holy Spirit mends our brokenness and regenerates our life according to His purposes.  So I guess I need to turn off the oven and close the refrigerator door.  I’ll never find my comfort there; I’ll only find it in the presence of my God.

John 15:1 “. . . My Father is the vinedresser.”   


This morning I thought I was just going to do a little yard work. Unexpectedly God began snipping at my heart too when  I started. 

As I was applying weed killer around my driveway, I noticed that an azalea near my pool had some dead branches.  I had noticed them before, but kept hoping that they would somehow be resurrected.  Today I finally realized that parts of the shrub needed to be removed. Those parts needed to be cut away for the good of the plant as a whole because they were dead. 

After pruning the azalea, I noticed a holly which had random new growth destroying its shape. It seemed to be producing shoots in all the wrong places.  Again, I wielded the shears to shape the holly into the beauty for which it was planted.    My shrubs must have the work of the pruning shears in their lives so that they can grow properly, or they will never serve the purpose for which they are intended – to beautify my yard.

All of this trimming in my yard, reminded me clearly of Jesus’ words in John 15.  He has to take the trimmers to our lives, as well.  Whether parts of our lives are dead or parts are growing in the wrong direction, He must cut away for the good of the plant.  Without His trimming, we would never achieve the purpose for which we were intended.  He knows best the shape my life should take. I just want to hold on to dead branches or grow in some awkward direction. 

My prayer today is snip away at my life, Oh Lord.  Cut away the dead parts.  Help me give up what is no longer alive and productive.  And shape my growth that I may be the beautiful planting in Your garden – your destiny for me.

 As Moses walked to the top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand, he had no idea the battle would be so long or his strength would wane so easily.  If he could just somehow keep his hands up, final victory would be won.  The question looming in his mind was  “How much longer can I keep my hands up?”  Fortunately, God had help on the way; He sent Aaron and Hur to seat Moses on a rock and to hold his arms high in the air until ultimate victory came. (Exodus 17:8-13)
 Just as Moses ran out of physical strength when the battle needed to be won, widows everywhere are finding themselves physically and emotionally exhausted.  They know God has promised in His Word victory for them, but they just cannot go any farther.  Their strength is all gone.  The good news is God still sends help to those who rely on Him.

 First of all, Aaron and Hur seated Moses on a stone or a rock.  Just as Moses found rest on a rock, widows can rest on a rock, as well.  I Corinthians 10 calls Jesus our Rock; we can rest on Jesus.  When we are too exhausted to stand, we just need to take a rest on the Rock, for He will give us support and comfort that we need.

Secondly, God sent to Moses people to physically help him, Aaron and Hur.  God is still sending people today to support us as strength is almost gone.  Aaron was the brother of Moses and had been by Moses’ side through the entire exodus from Egypt.  Our Aarons today may be family members or long-term friends, but God sends them to our aid when we need them the most.  Hur, on the other hand, was a young man who does not seem to work closely with Moses at any other time.  God put him beside Moses when Moses needed him most.  In like manner, God will send to us support from people we may have never known or people who are not in our age group; however, they will be there to support us just when we need help most.  God will provide for us when we need assistance.

Finally, as widows we must accept the fact we cannot do everything ourselves, even God’s prophet Moses needed others to support him and bring him to victory.  We should never let our fear of relying on others or our pride in our self-sufficiency hinder us from accepting God’s help when we need it most.  So if you feel your strength depleted, find yourself a seat on the Rock and look around – help is on the way.

Oil, not worth much by itself . . . it can be used with other things to enhance flavor or lubricate; but to a poor widow, the small amount of oil was worthless, or so she thought.

However, the prophet Elisha saw the oil was a possession of the widow and something that had potential to meet her need.  All she needed to do was realize it was hers to pour and she needed to find empty vessels to fill.  At the bidding of the prophet, she poured what she had into the empty vessels, and they were all filled.  But the amazing part of the story is in her pouring she had also supplied her own need.  She had received bountifully by pouring out the little, insignificant thing she had. 

Likewise widows today feel totally bankrupt and feel they have nothing left.  However, everyone has something, no matter how seemingly insignificant, that can be used to help fill needs.  All they need to do is take what they have, find some empty vessels, and start to pour.  Amazingly, giving out of our need to others helps us fill the void without ourselves. 

Be challenged, as the widow in II Kings 4; take what you have, find some empty vessels, pour into them, and watch your own needs be met.

 

The loneliness, the emotional isolation, which comes with widowhood can only be understood by those who have been initiated by death into this solemn sorority.  The physical and emotional isolation is unparalleled – only those who have “been there, done that” can relate to the devastation experienced when the memorial service is over and the crowd has gone.  Suddenly, widows are all alone, or so they feel.

            The soul of a widow cries for life’s rewind button to take her back to her familiar past; however, life has no rewind.  The only selection is play by play of the here and now.  How can a widow cope when she feels totally stripped, totally naked, with no physical partner to help her? Truly, she has become one half of a pair, and she feels half of herself is now missing.  What can she do?  Should she search for new relationships to fill the void; should she withdraw into the solitude of depression; should she try to fill the void with physical things, or should she just deny the pain and live a lie?

            Fortunately, the Christian widow has a unique opportunity to learn of the care and compassion of our Savior as never before.  Jesus understands the feeling of being totally alone, totally forsaken.  On the cross, He cried, “My God, My God why have you forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46)  He knew the devastation of being separated from a part of Himself; He understands the widow’s heart more than any other can, and He longs to fill the void.  He is the only solace and healing in this storm of life.  All others are only quick fixes which will fail again to reveal the root issue – a heart in need of healing.

            As widows allow themselves to be drawn into a new intimacy with God, they develop a new life with God filling the part of themselves which has been stripped away.  This new relationship will lead them to declare the words of  Isaiah 54: 4-5:
            ". . . And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.

            For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of host is His name; And

            your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the

            whole earth."

            Life can have fulfillment again as each of us, as widows, find an intimacy with God which can fill the voids and regenerate a meaningful life for us.  Fall into the arms of a Savior who knows your heart and  who wants to heal it.

Violent winds and torrential floods have besieged the mid-West and Southern states this spring breaking long-held records and reminding all nothing in our physical life is predictable.  Many have had their lives totally rearranged by a weather event they could not control.  Suddenly, with no warning, a natural force changed their lives, plans, and direction, without their input in any way.

            Widows understand too well the life-changing forces which are beyond their control.  They too have had their lives rearranged without their consent.  All of their plans and future seemed to be snatched from them with one event – the death of a spouse.  Death has a strange way of making life lose all direction and sending those who are left behind into an incessant tailspin; however, life can still have purpose in the midst of grief.

            A prime example of finding purpose in grief is Mary, the mother of our Savior.  Imagine her devastation when she realized that her son, the promised Messiah, was dying on a cross. Only three decades before she had been greeted by an angel with the news of
God’s plan for her life.  Surely, she knew her life would have its challenges, like being pregnant and not married, but she knew the challenges would be outweighed by the joy of helping to bring the Messiah to the world.  Now Mary, who was already a widow, stood beneath a cross and watched her son die.  Her whole purpose for life could have been lost, but she refused to allow death to keep her from bringing the Messiah to the world.

            A month and a half later, Mary is joined with a group of one hundred twenty disciples in the Upper Room waiting for the empowerment of God to carry the message of a savior to the world.  Truly, Mary probably expected her son would be an earthly king who would save His people through His reign on earth; however, she was willing to lay down her own perceptions and accept God’s plan of salvation which included a sacrificial death and her personal loss.  Now she with the others would bring the Messiah to the world through their yielded lives, fulfilling His plan with the empowering of His Spirit. 

            How does this story relate to the life of the grieving?  This story reminds all of us that many times life does not turn out as we anticipated; however, we, as Mary, can still have purpose in our lives. God’s plan for us has not changed.  He still has things for us to accomplish and He will empower us to continue fulfilling our destiny if we will yield ourselves to His plan and purpose, and if we will wait on His Spirit to enable us to do the work ahead.  Our lives do not have to come to a meaningless halt with the death of our spouses, instead we can find strength and direction by the Spirit of God to fulfill God’s plan for our lives.  After all, we, like Mary still need to bring the Messiah to our world!