Bless You

How many times have I heard and read to pray for those who persecute you and bless those who mistreat you? But I've never understood the power that lies in doing just that. Not to pray for their demise or for them to be changed for your benefit, but to pray blessings over them. When you deny your human nature through the power of the Holy Spirit and obey what God has commanded, He blesses you.

You look at those people through His eyes and something shifts in your heart. God's peace floods in and love begins to grow. They are no longer my enemy, but they are a fellow human being who is hurting and in need of the love of Chris,t just like me. They are made in the image of God and precious to Him, just as I am.

With that paradigm shift, how can I be angry with them? How can I feel anything but compassion for them? Maybe they have never felt the touch of God before. Maybe they are still stumbling around in a dark world without the light of the hope of Christ. My hating them or being bitter and angry isn't going to point them to Christ. But if I choose to love them and be an extension of Christ's grace, maybe they will see a reflection of Him in me. And when I allow God to change my heart for them, I get the immense honor of interceding for another person before the throne of God.
Suddenly, it has changed from a command I must obey to a privilege.
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." Matthew 5:44

Be kind.

Encourage others.

Be humble.

Be polite.

Fight for others.

Be slow to anger.

Think pure.

Expect the best.

Look for the good.

Cherish truth.

Bear all things.

Endure all things.

Hope.

Believe.

=

LOVE

©Alyson Mecham 2012

Humility

Humility. It is the trait the Bible praises. God says He will bless the humble and they will find favor with Him. Those who are exemplary disciples of Christ are marked by a life of humility. Yet, in most cases, it is the most unpleasant of character lessons to learn. Humans are innately stubborn beings, so we often have to be humiliated in order to learn humility. This is a less than appealing thought to me.

Humility. My Bible study brought up this word and I cringed. Humility is a dangerous thing to pray for. This is the first thought which springs to mind. The concept of being a humble person is appealing but thinking of what it will actually take to be a humble person causes me to quiver.

“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:22).

Beth Moore followed the verse with this: “Father, I can hardly imagine being someone You esteem, but I sincerely want to be! Make me that kind of person, Lord, through the power of Your Holy Spirit.” Yes! I wholeheartedly agree…but how do I go about making it a reality in my life?

Humility. Yes, I will take a deep breath. Here it goes, I plunge into a scary realm. “Make me a humble and gentle woman. Reveal to me areas of pride in my life. Give me eyes to see pride in the same way that You do. I don’t want to tolerate it anymore or allow it to grow or be encouraged in my heart. Show me practical ways to root it out.”

Prayer and humility are directly related.

Prayer = Humility. Lack of prayer = Lack of humility. Ouch. Is this one of my own thoughts or does the Bible support it? I believe it is biblical. So I begin looking at a few of the great men in the Bible.

Moses. Exodus 32 and Numbers 14 he intercedes for the children of Israel. “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11a). All of these times, the Lord listened and responded. Moses had a healthy and thriving prayer life. “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Many people mock this verse and say it doesn’t carry much weight since Moses was the one to write it, The entire Bible is true and God wouldn’t have allowed it to be in there if it wasn’t true; Moses had a vibrant prayer life and he possessed the character trait of humility.

David. He recognized that it wasn’t by his own might that he would defeat Goliath (1 Samuel 17:37). Up to this point in the story, it doesn’t say directly that David spent time in prayer, but this level of trust in God would only come from someone who spent time with Him. Later in David’s life, he neglected to seek God, he began to lack humility (2 Samuel 24).

Lastly, for this short study, Jesus. His prayer life was regular and strong (John 17). He was humble (Matthew 11:29). There is definitely a direct relationship between prayer and humility.

Now comes the uncomfortable part of applying all of this to my life. If I find myself struggling with pride, one of the first things I should look at is the health of my prayer life. If my prayer life is meager and starving, my humility is going to be in short supply. Instead of desperately pleading for the Lord to make me humble, I need to obey Him in His call to prayer. As I pray, I put myself in the place I was meant to be in – dependent on God for my needs and the needs of others and recognizing how mighty He is. When I am in that place, how can I help but humble myself before Him?

©Alyson Mecham 2012

His Grace Is Sufficient

The cold creeps around, crawling

on my skin.

Darkness presses down, a weight

on my shoulders.

Loneliness settles in, preying

on my mind.

In my soul,

I weep amidst the silence.

In my heart,

I search through the solitude.

In my mind,

I question as a result of pain.

Who is for me?

My ears fill with the sound of His voice-

I AM.

My mouth utters my response-

You are worthy.

What is happening?

My will.

Your will be done.

When will I find relief?

In My time.

I wait for the Lord.

Why do I have to go through this?

My glory.

All to the glory of God.

How can I make it through?

My grace.

Your grace is sufficient for me, for power is perfected in weakness.

In my soul,

I rejoice in His strength.

In my heart,

I find His presence.

In my mind,

I trust His plan.

His love washes over me, tingling

on my skin.

His light illuminates within me, lightening the burden

on my shoulders.

His comfort relaxes me, coming to rest

on my mind.

Joy Because of Weakness

I never thought I would genuinely praise God for weakness. I have praised Him in the midst of weakness before, a necessary practice make it through the difficult times. But, for the first time I am rejoicing in the weakness itself. That God would count me worthy to be weak so that His strength may be shown. What an immense privilege. The realization of this precious opportunity brings tears to my eyes.

“…God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; ²⁸ God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, ²⁹ so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ³⁰ And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹ so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 1: 27b-31 (ESV)

Those who follow Jesus are the only ones who can have pure, true joy regardless of the circumstance one is in because eternal redemption and relationship with the God of the universe has already been obtained. So, of what consequence are the things of this earth? Is weakness comfortable or the most enjoyable experience a human can walk through? Most definitely not. But despite the discomfort and pain, there is the unquenchable joy of being used by the Creator to be an example to those He is seeking after. I can boast in my God who wants to use me when I am weak and broken. The world discards those who are weak, poor, broken, and imperfect. They are cast aside, ignored and deemed as unworthy of time, attention, and resources. But, God chooses those. He doesn’t settle for the weak ones or use the poor because they are all He has to choose from. He chooses them intentionally. Oh what a humbling revelation! I am flawed and the King of kings wants to use me to accomplish His purposes and bring Him glory. That knowledge causes joy to explode from my heart and a song of praise to ascend to His inclined ear.

            If you are weak. If you are broken. If you are imperfect. If you are despised by the people of this world. God has chosen you. Will you allow Him to use you, even if it means He won’t fix the way you think you need fixing? I never understood this and I am only just beginning to, but if God uses the weak to bring Him glory, then I am more than okay with not being made strong. I want to remain in the state that God can use me most, whatever that may be, that I may not be a manifestation of human pride before God, but I might boast in the Lord.

Child

laughing preciously

toddling happily

loving innocently

enjoying easily

emoting honestly

living spontaneously

this is the life of a child

Dance by the Sea

She walked slowly over the plant covered dunes. The waxy plants crept like vines across the sand. She could hear the waves creeping up the shore then softly whispering back into the sea. The full moon hung in the sky like a chandelier, softly bathing the landscape in pale light. A few clouds hung in the sky, thinly veiling the stars. She descended a dune and felt the sand begin to dampen beneath her bare feet. She stopped just short of the line the waves made in the sand. A cool breeze from the sea, filled with salty freshness, brushed the hair from her face and fluttered her white muslin dress. She took a deep breath and stretched her arms toward the heavens. She closed her eyes and allowed the serenity to soak into her.

The waves created a rhythm and nearby salt grasses allowed the breeze to create an accompaniment. She softly swayed her body to the music of the seashore. A smile spread across her face and you could have seen joy light up her eyes if they were open. Alone with God and His creation, she danced. Her movements ebbed and flowed with the waves, rose and fell with the wind. Her feet made small impressions in the sand as she leaped. Her arms seemed to encircle the moon and sweep up the clouds. Her body formed graceful lines as she danced from the depths of her soul. This was the only time she let down all of her walls and abandoned all rules and boundaries. When she was alone before God and dancing with Jesus. She had the heart of a child once again - expressing pure joy and allowing emotion to flow out of her. Finally, she collapsed on the sand, spend but at peace. "I love you" she whispered. There was a smile on her lips as a single tear traced down her cheek.



Copyright Alyson Mecham 2012

Snowy Sunset

Stillness blankets the scene

Filling my eyes

Cold screams from every razor edge

Glaring at the world

As the chill numbs body

Monotony dulls mind

Winter clutches at the soul

A whisper of color emerges

My eyes gulp in warmth

Whitewashed hills soften with a rosy hue

Glow transforms the gloom

Tugging your gaze upwards

A symphony melts into snow

Light rouses hope at the core

If God is for me...

If God is for me, who can stand against me?
     This amazing truth is something I have grown up hearing. An anthem declared by followers of Christ throughout the world. A precious promise to cling to. A declaration of hope when I feel opposed and defeated.

     God brought a new aspect of this statement to my attention. Especially as a Christ follower, there are so many things, even people who are trying to cause me to fail. Satan is trying to steal, kill, and destroy - he's the most constant opposition we face. I live my life struggling to win against everything and everyone that oppose me. It's human nature to do so, and to a degree, necessary in the world we live in. But, what if I am focusing on the wrong thing? What if, instead of spending my energy fighitng the opposition, I spend all my energy striving to please God and live in a way so that He is for me? I know that in a broad sense, God is always for me, because He loves me. I'm talking about things like 1 Peter 5:5
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
So, if I want God to be for me, I need to strive to live a life of humility so God doesn't oppose me. He's also a righteous God, so He isn't going to be for my sin. I need to try to live a holy life that is pleasing to Him. It is a total shift of my normal viewpoint. I don't need to worry at all about what opposes me. I only need to concern myselrf with having God for me. It takes the burden of fighting things off of my shoulders and puts it back where it belongs - in God's hands. How much more joy will I find in striving to please a loving God rather than striving against opposition.

     My goal has always been to please Him, but without realizing it, I've also diverted some of my energy towards fighting the things that oppose me. What a relief and such an exciting tghought to be able to focus 100% on pleasing Him and resting in the knowledge that He will deal with everything that opposes me, in His way and His timing.

     So I ask you, my friend, is all your energy being applied towards pleasing God? Or is some being diverted to other things that God would rather you trust Him to take care of?

If God is for me...

If God is for me, who can stand against me?
     This amazing truth is something I have grown up hearing. An anthem declared by followers of Christ throughout the world. A precious promise to cling to. A declaration of hope when I feel opposed and defeated.
     God brought a new aspect of this statement to my attention. Especially as a Christ follower, there are so many things, even people who are trying to cause me to fail. Satan is trying to steal, kill, and destroy - he's the most constant opposition we face. I live my life struggling to win against everything and everyone that oppose me. It's human nature to do so, and to a degree, necessary in the world we live in. But, what if I am focusing on the wrong thing? What if, instead of spending my energy fighitng the opposition, I spend all my energy striving to please God and live in a way so that He is for me? I know that in a broad sense, God is always for me, because He loves me. I'm talking about things like 1 Peter 5:5
"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
So, if I want God to be for me, I need to strive to live a life of humility so God doesn't oppose me. He's also a righteous God, so He isn't going to be for my sin. I need to try to live a holy life that is pleasing to Him. It is a total shift of my normal viewpoint. I don't need to worry at all about what opposes me. I only need to concern myselrf with having God for me. It takes the burden of fighting things off of my shoulders and puts it back where it belongs - in God's hands. How much more joy will I find in striving to please a loving God rather than striving against opposition.
     My goal has always been to please HIm, but without realizing it, I've also diverted some of my energy towards fighting the things that oppose me. What a relief and such an exciting tghought to be able to focus 100% on pleasing Him and resting in the knowledge that He will deal with everything that opposes me, in His way and His timing.
     So I ask you, my friend, is all your energy being applied towards pleasing God? Or is some being diverted to other things that God would rather you trust Him to take care of?

The Box of Kisses

I’ll tell you of a story about a child’s love,

Not of adults’ mentality of push and shove.

I’ll tell you of a three-year-old daughter,

Of a sweet girl who filled the world with laughter.

I won’t tell you of depravity or lust.

I’ll tell you of innocence, a gift so just.

Of a daughter’s love unfailing,

Of her loving and unending travailing.

Now my tale I will most certainly speak,

I won’t be quiet and I won’t be meek.

The story goes that a long time ago,

A man yelled at his daughter a resounding “NO!”

For wasting wrapping paper when money was tight.

He yelled so much she began crying in fright,

“I was only making a gift for under the tree.

I did not want to make you mad at me.”

The father stalked away from the child.

The girl finished and placed it on the pile.

Slowly she crept to her bed and lay to sleep.

Little did her father know he had made her weep.

The next morning, the girl gave the gift to her father.

Ashamed at his previous actions, and rather

Embarrassed, he took the gold-wrapped package.

He exploded with anger like a savage.

“You can’t give someone a small box bereft

Of a present! The box must have something left

When the wrapping is gone and the box open.

Inside the gift you should find some kind of token.

The gift must contain something more than air,

Otherwise people will think you a liar and unfair!

The girl looked up with shining tear-filled eyes,

“Oh, Daddy! I thought you would see the surprise!

I blew kisses into the box, just for you.

All the time I was thinking about you, it’s true,

Presents for you and only you, beloved father.

I truly didn’t mean for them to be a bother.”

The father was quiet, his pride crushed.

He opened his arms and into them she rushed.

He hugged her tight and begged her forgiveness.

In his sweet daughter, he found no coldness.

She forgave him without a single thought,

For her spirit was heavy when they fought.

A few weeks later, the child left this earth.

An accident stole her from her place of birth.

Her laughter filled her father’s heart no more.

So beside his bed, the father kept the store

Of dear little imaginary kisses.

He would take them out and make wishes.

Wishes that his girl would come back to him.

Wishes that he had granted her little whims.

He would remember her innocent love.

He would remember she was like a gentle dove.

In a very real sense, each one of us

Has been given a precious gift of trust.

Each has been given a container filled with kisses,

Filled with unconditional love and wishes,

From our children, family, friends, and God.

In each box, you will find nothing flawed.

There is no possession anyone can hold,

More precious than this shining box of gold.

Each of us should hold this treasure close and dear,

For with it, we have nothing in this world to fear.

The Cave

Fissures in the roof of the cavern ooze. Water drops into a pool methodically, like the ticking of a clock. The sound of each drip sends a ping which echoes in the cavern as if it is the first sound ever to touch the darkness. Rock teeth jut from the floor, creating a mouth which yawns at the entrance, daring anyone to enter. A dank smell stands guard to repel anyone who may have ventured this far. It festers in the still air, like a pile of garbage left to rot in the sun.

The darkness suffocates. It fills the space, like water fills a glass, until it seems there is no room for anything else. The darkness allows a chill to control the air. Not a chill which raises one’s hair, but one which sees any form of warmth as an intruder. The chill reaches to the source of the warmth and engulfs it, pairing with the darkness to overwhelm it and defend their territory. They press against everything in the cavern, allowing for no escape.

Bits and pieces of the past litter the more prominent points. A fragment of frayed fabric hangs between a few of the fingers. A scrap of paper clings to another claw. Shards of glass litter the floor, like confetti scattered everywhere after a party.

A flame, secluded in a corner, struggles to assert itself. Angrily, the darkness struggles to extinguish it, but to no avail. Its flickering reveal hints that this place has not been completely void of life. The coals drive the chill from their tiny sphere of influence..  The golden flame is a beacon of hope, like the blinking of a lighthouse through the fog. The golden light of the flame turns to silver as it jumps off the glass, adding a small amount of color to the otherwise dreary cavern. Once past the sentries at the door, adventure and a story is to be found, for one brave enough to push through.

If I Die Young

This morning I randomly decided to listen to a country song entitled “If I Die Young.” Most find this song rather morbid, but I love the music and harmonies encased within this song and normally ignore what it’s about. This morning was different. I was in a contemplative mood, so as the fiddle crooned, I listened intently to the lyrics. One line in particular struck me.

“The sharp knife of a short life, well I’ve had just enough time.”

Beth, from Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott (For those of you who haven’t read it, I would highly recommend it), joined my thoughts. She died at the age of eighteen. Although that part in the book causes me to shed tears every time I read it, they are tears of a sweet sadness. For Beth had a short life, but she lived it well and when she went to be with the Heavenly Father, her family and many other people had been impacted by the life she lived. She wasn’t forgotten by anyone who knew her because her sweetness and genuine love had left a lasting impact. She was a character who focused on loving others well and living for those she loved. She tried her best to serve and bring happiness to those around her. She had her faults, burdens and bad days, but she did her best to take them to Jesus and ask Him to help her with them. There was a void left by her departure in the hearts of those who loved her, but rather than begrudge heaven for now having custody of their Beth, they were glad to have known her for as long as they did. Even though she is a fictional character, she embodied the line that stood out to me from the song.

It was a sobering thought that came to mind next. Have I lived a life so full of love and pleasing to the Lord that if He told me He was taking me home tonight, I would be able to say I’ve had just enough time here on this earth to accomplish what He wanted me to? I think right now the answer to that question is a no; so much of my time and energy I spent pursuing things driven by my own selfish desires. How much precious time have I wasted in this short life focusing on trivial things that have no eternal significance? Someone not saying please, a bill that I think is too high, having to change my schedule to accommodate someone else. I get upset about things that waste my time and take my focus away from loving and serving people like Christ did.

Funny how the Lord used a secular song to convict me of my shallowness, but He did.

“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.”  Proverbs 10:12

For the first time, this verse makes sense to me and I understand how to apply it to my life. Hatred has the root of selfishness and pride. All it will do is cause troubles and waste precious time. If I allow the love of Christ to flow through me and cover all sins, I can use the time He has given me to make an impact on those around me. But I have to choose to be selfless rather than selfish, just as Christ did. God has challenged me today to focus on how I can choose to love others rather than to serve my own interests and to look for opportunities to overlook silly trivial things in order to put relationships that will have eternal impact first. Will you join me?

One of my friends was a living example of this before I wrote about it, but he still accepted the challenge (minus reading Little Women.) He loved people regardless of how they treated him, and served people regardless of how it inconvenienced him. His life was focused on relationships. I can't remember him ever holding something trivial  against someone. He had his faults, but he did the best he could to live by loving people the way Christ did. Just like Beth, his time on this earth was short. Just a little over two weeks later, a tragic accident took him from this earth. While there is pain because he is gone, there is joy because he is with Jesus. And this lesson that God started is now permanently branded on my heart. Life isn't certain, but that doesn't mean that I can't make the most of the time God gives me here. If I live in obedience to Christ, He can use me to further His kingdom and impact the people I interact with...just as He used Luke. 

So again, I challenge myself and anyone reading this...especially those who knew Luke and can see a real example of this truth...will you join me in loving people with an eternal perspective?