Category Archives: God’s character

Exit Strategy

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FootprintsOur dog Jack has always been a winter dog, and despite him being the doggy-equivalent of 80 years, he can still romp like a puppy when he’s out in the snow. Today while walking him, it struck me that I’ve memorized the various boot-prints of neighbors who are also out dog-walking each day. (Even when it’s fifteen-below, dogs must be walked!)

These days snow boots have all manner of “grid” on their soles, and though I don’t know which person’s prints belong to who, I do see the same patterns in the snow day after day. There are the feet with circle-prints, others with squiggly lines , some with tire-like treads, and one with a sunburst pattern. Although I rarely run into another person while walking Jack, the variety of footprints in the snow testifies to each one having been there.

All of us leave evidence in places we’ve been. Sometimes it’s negative, like when a child fixes a snack and walks away from a messy kitchen. Other times it’s positive, like when my sister hides a Scripture rock for me to find later. Even though she’s long gone when I discover it, her thoughtful persona lingers.

When we look at the verses in Scripture that describe situations where Jesus had just been, we see an interesting consistency.

Praises...He left people jumping up and down with joy, or shouting praises to God, or standing speechless and overcome with wonder. He left changed lives in his wake.

How often do I enter a home or other gathering place with any thought to my exit strategy? Since I often have regrets after leaving (should have, would have, could have), apparently not often enough. But it’s not only that.

On those rare occasions when I have left something positive in my wake, it hasn’t always been with sterling motives. Was my goal to remind them of how wonderful I was while I was with them? Or have I tried to leave behind an awareness that a Christ-follower was there? Honestly, my answers aren’t usually good ones.

But Jesus is a perfect tutor on this. He repeatedly modeled the right way to do it, often saying that everything he did was meant to leave behind an accurate impression of God his Father and of his relationship with him as a Son. In Hebrews we read, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” (1:3) A radiance is a glow that lingers, and Jesus passionately wanted us to remember him as the portrayal of a God who desires a personal love relationship with us.

None of us can do as well as Jesus, but wisdom should keep us working at it. Does this mean my pockets should be stuffed with Scripture rocks?

Scripture RockActually, that’s not a bad idea.

Jesus said, “I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.” (John 14:31)

Good Editing

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When I got the chance to write a book two years ago (at left), it was a dream come true, and the long process of thinking, organizing, and writing was pure pleasure. Secretly I hoped for the chance to repeat the experience. Now that possibility is coming into focus.

Looking back to the first book, I see how critically important it was to be partnered with a good editor.

A hard working editorHer name was Miranda, and I learned more from her than I did in all my college writing classes combined.

Although writers and editors all work with words, they use completely different skill-sets, and Miranda’s meticulous critique was invaluable to my little book. If I do get to write another one, my highest hope will be to team up with her again, because expert editing makes the difference between a mediocre end-result and a memorable one.

All of us need our words edited once in a while, for example in our prayers. God knows that, so he makes two supernatural editors available to us. The first is his Holy Spirit and the second Jesus Christ. These two have never made, nor will they ever make, an editing mistake.

We should be deeply grateful for them, since they take the prayerful petitions we make to God and edit them into viable, acceptable requests he will hear and answer. Theirs is an awesome duty that benefits us daily. Scripture says the Spirit edits with sounds that are actually too deep for words but that God understands his specific groans on our behalf. And Jesus bridges the natural gap between us and God.

We edit.So why can’t we edit our own prayers? The truth is, we do, but it’s not positive. Let’s say he asks us to obey in a specific way and we respond with, “Ok.” But then we edit: “You know I’m only human, Lord. How ’bout if I obey half of that and let the rest go.”

Unacceptable editing.

In another example we might think, “God doesn’t really mean what he says. He meant to say…” and we fill in the blank in a way that doesn’t require too much of us.

More bad editing.

A good editor like Miranda will take the first draft of a book and raise questions with the author about words and concepts, listening to her rationale but sometimes insisting on changes. God does that too, as his Son and Spirit commune with him about us. Their editing makes our imperfect requests perfect to his ears.

An editor's workI hope I can work with Miranda again, but that won’t be up to me. Working with God’s Son and Spirit, however, is left completely up to us.

“There is one God and one Mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. […and] we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (1 Timothy 2:5 & Romans 8:26)

Guard Duty

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???????????????????????????????During recent babysitting gigs with Emerald, she’s refused to take a nap. Despite my following the same pre-bed routine as her mommy, she clings to me, refusing her bottle and wailing about going into her crib. Though I’ve let her “cry it out” for as long as 25 minutes, she just doesn’t settle.

So today I decided to do things differently. After putting her in the crib amidst loud objections on her part, I put myself on the twin bed nearby and said, “Shhh…. Grandma’s going night-night. Shhh….”

When that didn’t work, I pulled her crib right next to me, reaching through the bars to pat her back. “Night night, Emerald. Grandma’s going to sleep, too. Shhhh….” But nap time was still a no-go.

Most grandmas are wimps when it comes to being strict with a grandbaby, and I’m no exception. I pulled her out of her crib and said, “Let’s go night-night in grandma’s bed then, ok?”

Her crying stopped, and she quickly cuddled up to me, pointing out (and poking into) my eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, ears, and hair. It wasn’t long, though, before she put her head on the bed and was fast asleep. While I worked to gently extract her fingers from my tangled hair (without waking her), I watched her sleep, a spiritual experience if there ever was one.

???????????????????????????????But then it was time to inch off the bed and leave the room, but how could I be sure she wouldn’t fall off as she slept?

I spent the next 20 minutes building a fence around her, tip-toeing in with a row of dining room chairs, followed by more chairs to make sure the first chairs wouldn’t slide. I put pillows between her head and the stucco walls and then stood back to assess my work. It still wasn’t good enough. The only sure thing was to stay in the room, watching over her until she woke up.

???????????????????????????????It occurred to me that while I was watching over Emerald, God was watching over both of us, not just during that 2 hour nap time but always. He remains at his “guard post” 24/7, not so much to prevent adversity or keep us 100% safe but to maintain a level of control over what happens to us. He may allow trouble to come but will only let it go “so far.”

This afternoon while on guard duty, I watched Emerald move in her sleep, rolling onto different sides, fumbling for her pacifier with eyes closed, stretching out on her back. She rolled near the edge of the bed once, but I was right there, in case she fell. Yet she had no awareness of the security I was providing by being in the room.

Sometimes we’re unaware of God’s protection, too, despite him having told us he’s always watching. But on those days when we believe he’s there, it makes all the difference in the world.

“The ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths.” (Proverbs 5:21)