Reflections at the Beach: A Sunset Ending

 

Picture Credit: My beloved wife Tiffanie.  This is taken as 

drove over the Bay Bridge.  She would tragically pass away

from cancer one month after this picture was taken.

Each sunset matters, even the glorious final one when 

we go home to heaven.

Reflections at the Beach

Week sixteen

A Sunset Ending 

Psalm 113:3

      I can't think of a better way to close out a day at the beach than simply walking hand in hand with those that you love as the sun sets near you. It might sound overly romantic or somewhat cliche, but nothing can disturb the perfection of a sunset. Nothing can compare with a sunset near the shore.  The typically blue sky is radiated with Hues of orange, pink, and purple. The Master Artist chooses to change the palette of His colors He uses. Each brushstroke reminds us to magnify His name. The final few rays stretch the heavens to remind us of someone far greater than us. It's incredible that the most important star in our solar system which resides over 93 million miles away can have such an effect on us. Humanity since its creation has been in awe of it. Sunsets also remind us of the beauty in endings. Endings don't always seem beautiful though. I'm sure we've all watched movies or read books where the ending wasn't quite what we expected. Possibly it was anti-climatic or disappointing. But the glory of a sunset reminds us that endings can be beautiful, but can be difficult. 

      Most of us have adopted the picturesque image of every story ending with the words 'they lived happily ever after.' The idea that happy endings are etched in stone is nothing more than wishful thinking. Every story has an ending, but maybe not the happy one that we had planned. What do we do when the relationship that we planned falls apart? What do we do when the dream job closes? What do we do when a doctor's visit changes our entire outlook? Or when our spouse gets cancer? Or loved ones endure dementia where they don't even know who they are ? Or what do we do when the college we wanted to go to says no? None of that was in 'the cards. ' We didnt plan for that to be the ending. We would have never wrote the story in that fashion. What do we do when our happy ending forces a new beginning?  The psalmist wrote "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised (Psalm 113:3)." How can we praise God when disappointment and discouragement strike our hearts deeply? How do we thank God when we are mired in the fog of confusion? How do we praise God when an ending tragically causes us to say goodbye to those we love the most? We're able to praise God because He holds every tomorrow, the expected and the unexpected. We're able to praise God because the ultimate ending is to be with Him forever through Jesus Christ. Each of our temporal endings on planet Earth fluctuates, but our Eternal ending is a glorious promise to live with Jesus forever. Maybe you are stuck right now living in the disappointment of what could have been. Maybe you are carrying feelings of bitterness because the ending is not what you expected. But don't allow the bitterness to take your eyes off of the Lord and to praise Him. To give Him thanks for each ending, happy or not. And give Him the ultimate Glory that the ending of your story is His story. 

Reflections on the Road: Week Six

Reflections on the Road

Week Six

"God Provides Peace"

Focus Passage: Psalm 23

Focus Verse: Psalm 23:2

Bible Reading: Mark 8-14

      Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally, the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.  The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.  As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.  A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

     The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?

A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind, and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.  A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. (Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46)

      Peace is the long-sought for jewel of our world and yet never found.  History estimates that in the last 4000 years that we have enjoyed less than 300 years of peace.  We have created leagues, treaties, and organizations that have sought for peace, and yet it is nothing more than a fleeting vision.  The reason why is that they are seeking peace outside of the Good Shepherd.  In Psalm 23:2 the sheep declares "He makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters."  Talk about a picturesque scene, the epitome of peace.  The sheep, who we have already said is defenseless and helpless, finds peace in the care of the shepherd.  So peaceful that he can lay down in the face of troubles and be calm, knowing that his Shepherd is watching him.  The waters are not raging, but it is still water.  Typically a shepherd goes to raging waters that scare the sheep and digs a trench of still waters for the sheep.  The water is still raging in the distance, but the shepherd gives the sheep a sweet calm.  That is what our shepherd does in this life for us as His sheep.  He provides us with a peace, a peace that the Bible says passes all our understanding.  We can look at the chaos and despair of our world and find peace.  The reason why is because our Good Shepherd doesn't just provide us with peace, but according to Ephesians 2:14, He is our peace.  If we know the Good Shepherd we can find peace in the chaos and we can rest

Reflections on the Road:
If you are currently struggling to be anchored to peace write this verse down and apply it to your life.  Realize that the storm does not always stop raging BUT when you are in the presence Good Shepherd you can rest in perfect peace.

Reflections on the Road: Week five

Reflections on the Road

Week Five

"God Provides for us"

Focus Passage: Psalm 23

Focus Verse: Psalm 23:1

Bible Reading: Mark 1-7

      Things looked bleak for the children of George Muller's orphanage at Ashley Downs England. It was time for breakfast, and there was no food. A small girl whose father was a close friend of Muller was visiting. Muller took her hand and said, "Come and see what our Father will do." In the dining room, long tables were set with empty plates and empty mugs. Not only was there no food in the kitchen, but there was no money in the home's account. Muller prayed, "Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat." Immediately, they heard a knock at the door. When they opened it, there stood the local baker. "Mr. Muller," he said, "I couldn't sleep last night. Somehow I felt you had no bread for breakfast, so I got up at 2 o'clock and baked fresh bread. Here it is." Muller thanked him and gave praise to God. Soon, a second knock was heard. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. He said he would like to give the children the milk so he could empty the cart and repair it.

      Psalm twenty-three is written from the perspective of how the sheep views the shepherd.  In verse one the sheep says "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."  The sheep is possessive for the shepherd.  The sheep doesn't use a general term like "our" shepherd, but the shepherd was his shepherd.  They had a close relationship and part of that relationship was how the shepherd provided for the sheep.  The concept of want means to not lack any good thing.  The ministry of the shepherd is not to provide for our every whim, wish, and desire, but to provide what is necessary, what is good for us.  The shepherd had to provide good things for the sheep in order for them to live.  Without the shepherd, the sheep would eat things that would be bad for them or wander into danger.  Our good shepherd does that for us every day.  He provides the good things that we need in His timing.  As a believer, we can rejoice in how God provides for us, mind you not in the ways that we always expect (or demand at times).  James tells us that every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Light.  Our Good Shepherd loves to provide for you and me.  He is actively providing for you right now.

Reflection on the Road:

Take a moment and reflect on ONE way God has provided you in the past and one way God is providing for you right now.  Write those things down and keep them in a place where you can see it often (fridge, bathroom mirror, etc).  When you wonder "God, can you provide for me" look at those and be reminded that God does indeed provide.

Reflections on the Road Week Four

Reflections on the Road

Week Four

"God is with us."

Focus Passage: Psalm 23

Focus Verse: Psalm 23:1

Bible Reading: Matthew chapters 22-28

   The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy's thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long. 

      The boy was in a seemingly dangerous situation thinking that he was all alone but his father was there the whole time.  The same spiritual truth applies to us as Christians.  There are times when we feel alone and scared but Jesus is always there for us.  He hasn't left us or abandoned us, though it might feel like it at times.  Our verse is Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd."  If God is our shepherd then that means we are sheep.  Sheep are weak and defenseless creatures.  There is nothing scary or frightening about sheep.  They are defenseless, so they need someone to protect them in the face of countless dangers.  In turn we need someone to defend us, someone to protect us against the enumerable spiritual dangers (and physical dangers at times). We are unable to protect ourselves because we are weak and frail.  We need someone strong to be our protection.  God is our protector, He is our shield, He is a strong tower, and enables us with the strength to battle each day with His aid.  2nd Thessalonians says "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."  He is our Good Shepherd, He is our protector.  Trust in His protection.  Lean on His everlasting arms.

Reflections on the Road:

Think of a time in the past when God protected you from some danger (physical or spiritual).  Write down that time and place it somewhere you can look at easily (wallet, purse, fridge, on the night stand).  When you feel frightened or scared, when you doubt if God is with you, go to that sheet and remember what God has done for you.  Remember He does not fail you.