Scattered Seed Books

Tag: faith

  • Keep Swimming

    Keep Swimming

    Legend has it that, as a toddler, I had an unfortunate incident with a body of water.  Immediately, I  became afraid of getting hurt again. I would scream and fuss at the mention of going into the lake, not even willing to put a toe in the water.

    Eventually, my father had enough. 

    He led me, hand in hand, kicking and screaming, to the small rock wall on the shoreline. For hours, he walked me up and down that wall. My face soaked with tears. I protested, loudly, but he never wavered in his resolve to reacquaint me with the water. 

    If you had been there that afternoon, you’d have heard the older ladies cluck their agitation and whisper it shouldn’t be done. You might have seen the older men, hike up their shorts, and say it couldn’t be done. You’d laugh, to see the curious children, who drummed up their own deep defiance, and said it wouldn’t be done.

    And me, red faced and resistant, with him, strong and steady.

    I could write this post with a focus on God’s unwavering resolve toward us. I could write about  His unmatched patience toward our kicking and splashing while we wade through the uncomfortable pools of our life. 

    Which is true.

    But I’m not going to type that.

    Or I could compare an earthly parent’s love to your Heavenly Father’s unmatched love, fueled by His desire for us to know Him more, even when we fuss and swim away.

    Which is also true.

    But this is not that blog post.

    Maybe I could dive into the nuances of how God takes us by the hand and remains side by side with us. How He is simultaneously our anchor and our life raft, reminding us of how good His presence feels.

    Which is beautifully true.

    But I’m not here to explain that.

    Instead, let’s take it a step at a time.

    Psalm 119:105 states,

    “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”(NIV)

    To me, that sounds like you get just enough light for each step. Too much light, and you’d trust the steps and your own footing on the wet rocks. Each little step that day was, admittedly, not what I wanted. My earthly parent was asking me to trust them. At the same time, there is no way of knowing the future when your Heavenly Father has set you on a path. I reasoned that I shouldn’t be on the path that made me uncomfortable. Instead, there I was, being asked to walk by faith, by way of surrendering my fears, limitations, and comfort zones. There was no telling the end result.  

    Could you use a little Divine hand holding while you navigate some unlit, slippery paths?

    Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, 

    “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)

    My earthly father’s plan that day involved seeing it through; moving forward, by taking one small, diligent step at a time. He knew he was asking me to stretch my faith that day. I “knew” I was being tortured that day. I made sure everyone else thought the same. They all argued that it couldn’t be done this way. To the dismay of all the bystanders, my father chose not to reveal his plan to anyone at all.  

    That’s what we ask of God, though, isn’t it? If He would be so kind as to reveal the plan, step by step, in delicious detail, we’d gladly trust Him with the results.

    Has an unfortunate incident on some slick surface led you to believe you could never trust God’s plan again?

    The Bible says in John 15:5,

    “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (NIV)

    Staying connected is the key here.  Had I let go, and sprinted for safety, there would have been no serendipitous swims during the sizzle of summer.  Had I detached myself from the vine in search of gentleness or pity,  there would have been no graceful glides through the lake during sunset’s glow. 

    So, if He is telling us to stay connected to the vine, what would happen if we wouldn’t?  If we wouldn’t submit to His will? If we wouldn’t wait on His timing? If we wouldn’t hold His hand?

    Have you looked out at the lake of unanswered prayers and decided to detach yourself from the vine and do it on your own?

    I have. That thing that God asked me to do? Well,  I’ve shook and I’ve stomped.  I’ve cried and I’ve reasoned. There’s been some doubts, some negotiations, and some delays.

    Little thoughts niggle, like minnows, at the back of my mind. They quip; “I’m too old. I’ve waited too long. I’ve missed it. I’m too late.” 

    Me, red faced and resistant, with Him, strong and steady.

    Shouldn’t be done.

    Couldn’t be done.

    Wouldn’t be done.

    It all ended well that day and I found myself back in the water. But what if it had failed? After all, earthly plans, laid by man, fail all the time.

    But not God’s plan.

    The real failure is stopping when God has called you to keep going. 

    So go swimming. Dive into the deep waters of your Heavenly Father’s love. Float on the overflowing reservoir of His forgiveness. Plunge into the personal relationship with the One Who Walks on Water.

    And finally, I hope you know, that if you have ever invited me over for a swim, there’s a child-like part, deep inside of me, that rejoices. 

    Because, there I am.
    Eyes to the Heavens.
    Weightless and Free.
    It's me looking up at Him.
    And Him looking down at me.

  • Root of the matter

    Root of the matter

    I asked my husband, a plumber for the last 35 years, what the weirdest thing was that he ever pulled out of a pipe. Before he relinquished the answer, there was a brief discussion about the usual suspects, including; things that should not be flushed despite what that commercial says, too much paper, and all feminine products. This was followed by an even longer explanation of how all that piping is supposed to work. 
    You see, often a clogged toilet is not an easy fix. Through some vigorous plunging, a customer can actually push the unwanted item from the toilet, further into the piping. More often than most customers would like, a resolution involves the removal of said toilet, snaking the pipe with heavy, cumbersome equipment, and, of course, toilet resetting. What can’t be recovered or displaced via the toilet and its piping, usually will cause a bigger problem in the form of a main line clog. When the main clogs, no plumbing in the house is usable, and out comes even heavier equipment, complete with a costly camera attachment.
    Having seen it firsthand on the aforementioned camera equipment, I can attest that the inside of the piping is unsettling. It’s a sneak peek into an artery. It’s dark and wet. Soggy goo clings to the side. Water may be trickling past, or it may be stopped altogether.
    As I waited for an answer, he went on to explain an unexpectedly common culprit in the realm of problematic pipes. It is what my husband likes to call “alien angel hair pasta”, known to us, non-plumbers, as tree roots. You see, while you slept, ate, watched t.v., read, and just generally lived life, the tiniest roots of that big, beautiful maple tree across the street, stretched silently, and some might say, menacingly your way.

    You may not know it, but roots are opportunistic. They prowl through layers of dirt, until they reach your unsuspecting pipe. Here they search for a way into your plumbing, through a weakness or a separation. As the tree roots grow, now nicely watered, courtesy of your house, they expand within the pipe.  All of this leads to an eventual crack or collapse of the structure. A break in the pipe that signals a bigger problem.  But (deep breaths) this is the opportunity to finally heal something you didn’t even know was broken.
    I couldn’t help but draw a comparison between these tree roots and your opportunistic enemy mentioned in 1 Peter 5:8, where is says, 


    Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (NIV)

    That weakness in the pipe sounds a lot like Romans 7:18,

    For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.(NIV)

     And how do we avoid a separation in our lives from the source? Isaiah 59:2 cautions,

    But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (NIV)

    Not surprisingly, the Bible actually has a lot to say about roots as well.  And, while most of it is good, there were a few words of warning.

    Like the root of bitterness mentioned in Hebrews 12:15,

    See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (NIV)

    Unresolved anger can quickly turn a heart sour.  Upset with that neighbor?  Irritable? Constantly disappointed?  We all know that a little bitter root will eventually lead to a lot of bitter fruit. And if the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, your bitterness might lead to someone else’s bitterness.

    Or in 1 Timothy 6:10 when it talks about the root of evil,

    For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (NIV)

    Now of course money doesn’t grow on trees, but the love of it might. The desire to contract and contain the money is enough to cause this root to flourish. You end up putting a lot of time and energy into maintaining, what amounts to, a glorified green leaf. And there you are wandering from the faith and piercing yourself with all kinds of griefs in search of it.

    And don’t forget this root found in Proverbs 12:3, 

    No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted. (NIV)

    Don’t miss the forest for the trees on this one.  The root of the righteous cannot be moved, but what about the human heart or the root of the unrighteous? Adam Clarke had this to say in his commentary,

    “Evil is always variable: it has no fixed principle, except the root that is in the human heart; and even that is ever assuming new forms..”

    Once you acknowledge you are having plumbing problems, a plumber can help you by clearing away the dreaded roots long before they have destroyed the line. An experienced plumber comes equipped with more skills and tools than you or I can imagine or possess. He, or she, can get the obstacle cleared and the water flowing the right direction again.   

    And obstacles?  Most would agree that both spiritual and physical obstacles are best when removed. But only God can uncover it all.  He exposes the root of the matter, not to condemn, but to repair and heal. Unlike my favorite plumber though, God doesn’t need expensive camera equipment or cutting tools to remove the corrupt roots in your life. He needs you.  He needs you to acknowledge the need for His Divine Help. He needs you to admit that you have sin in your life.  And He needs you to accept His son, Jesus, and let Him be Lord. That may well be the only contribution to your salvation.

    And then, you can rely on Him to show you the areas of your life that are separated from Him and weak.

    And then, you can ask for the renewed strength and tools to dig it all up and try again, getting that water flowing in the right direction.

    And then, He can enable you to be more selective about what you allow to take root in your life, which may mean choosing hard over easy.

    Now our talk thus far had literally led me down the maze of modern-day water supply and drainage, until he mentioned plastic.  But, as it turns out, plastic wasn’t the weirdest thing he had ever pulled out of a pipe. However, I did learn that a lot of the antiquated clay pipes that were once concealed beneath the street have been replaced by newfangled plastic. These pipes won’t crack the same way as clay, though they do still get ruined. In fact, given the opportunity, a root could easily stretch 20-30 feet through the plastic pipe following the flow of water to the source.

    Could the same thing be happening to you? Is there a separation, or a weakness somewhere down the line? Has a bad root infiltrated the gate and run unchecked toward the source? Have you been ignorantly watering it?

    Call a plumber.  Or better yet, call on your Heavenly Father.

    And while you’re at it, keep an eye on those trees.  You never can tell.

    And in case you’re still wondering what that weird object was that my husband pulled from a pipe.  It was a pair of women’s capri pants, size 6. Exactly how they got there is another story. Or maybe, more appropriately, it’s another limb on a tree.





  • On a Snowy Day

    On a Snowy Day

      There’s a story in the Bible that I think we don’t pay enough attention to.

      First off, it was snowing. 

      I realize that would be enough to keep most of us from going too far. Here in New England, we stocked up on bread and milk days ago and plan on hunkering down until we see pavement again. If I had to guess, I would say it wasn’t that fluffy Narnia snow that floats ethereally down from the atmosphere. I’m talking about the white stuff that has you turning down the radio in the car so you can see better on the drive home. Snow has a way of making things complicated.

      But, as if the snow wasn’t enough, let’s add in a lion and a pit, like in the story found in 

    1 Chronicles 11:22.

    Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors.  He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.(NIV)

      So you’re probably thinking, I’ve never fought a lion in a pit in a storm.

      Or have you?

      Maybe your pit looks more like the Pit of Despair.  The dirt has been replaced by slick mud.  The climb is made slippery with your tears and disappointment sucks your feet to the bog at the bottom. You struggle to cry out, desperate to clear the muck from your throat that threatens to choke you with every breath. You labor under bags meant to fulfill you but they only weigh you down. The adversary in this pit is there to steal your peace and he’s inching ever closer.

      Perhaps, your pit is a Money Pit. It’s uncomfortable and tight in this bottomless hole, with no breathing room.  There are no rocks to cling to, only overdue notices, bills, and bad decisions line this shaft. It’s cold and dark. Just when it appears that you are making headway, and you can see the exit, the flimsy hand-hold crumbles underneath you and brings you further down.  Your unseen antagonist growls in the darkness, causing anxiety to gnaw at your stomach and your head to pound. The enemy in this pit is there to kill your hope.

      How about a Sarlacc Pit?  The sand in this desert cavern stings, rubbing your skin raw.  It’s irritating, hot, and uncomfortable in this hole, but the worst part is the adversary. This is not your typical CGI monster. It’s very real and the insidious spread of influence this carnivorous beast has wraps around you, squeezes, and pulls you ever deeper.  Its sharp teeth gnash at your defenses. It whispers things about your past, reminding you and confusing you. In its dark eyes are reflected your mistakes and regrets. This foe will destroy your good future, by keeping you tethered to a bad past.

     The Bible warns us about all this in John 10:10,

       The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.(NIV)

    And in 1 Peter 5:8 it says, 

     Be alert, be of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (NIV)

     These verses were not just there to highlight how powerfully aggressive and relentlessly stealthy our enemy is. In a verse about the potential for evil in this world, what Jesus can give is in stark contrast to your enemies proposition. Let fear sharpen your awareness. Find comfort and peace in His presence. Acknowledge your need for His help and let Him show you the way.

      Upon closer inspection in the Benaiah story, the text does not specify if he had a weapon. So far, he’s been described as a valiant fighter and doer of great deeds. It seems to me that when there is danger, he is in his element.

      But, maybe that doesn’t describe you. However, you’re not as vulnerable as an ill-equipped mortal jumping into the unknown with a rodent of unusual size. When you make small, consistent steps of faith and obedience, you are not only armed, but protected.

     Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  EPH. 6: 10-18 (NIV)

      One final look at Benaiah.  

      He didn’t suddenly find himself in a pit with a lion. He ran to it. He was alert to the battle before him.

                          We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Hebrews 2:1 (NIV)

      He didn’t just fearfully tip toe around the pit and hope that the ferocious feline might let him pass by unscathed. He went sober minded; calm and self controlled, to the conflict.

    Have no fear of sudden disaster

        or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

    26 for the Lord will be at your side

        and will keep your foot from being snared.

    Proverbs 3:25-26 (NIV)

      Benaiah didn’t wait for the right weather, or a certain set of skills to vanquish his enemy.  He fought with the tools God had given him, fully embracing the abundant life we’ve been promised.

    And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

    2 Cor. 9:8 (NIV)

    He intentionally ran into trouble, while most of us are spending a lot of time and energy trying to get out of it.

    This also wasn’t his first go round in a pit. The Bible tells us in back in Benaiah’s story how he struck down two Moab warriors.

      Ok, so maybe they weren’t exactly in a pit.  But, neither were you.

      Then again, like I said, pits can come in all shapes and sizes.

      Like  when you clutched your peace with a tight fist during that stressful, anxiety filled season full of snakes and desperate pleas to God.

      When you said no to a bad habit, though your flesh was screaming yes, allowing God to shift your feet to stronger foundations with a focus on what you could do now.

      And don’t forget the pit, where God showed up and cultivated a desire to live differently, so you could untangle yourself from the monster of your past sins.

      If you’re keeping track, the account of Benaiah now boasts a victory over two Moab warriors and besting one lion in a pit in inclement weather. King David was clearly impressed with Benaiah’s resume’. This is why he made Benaiah chief of his personal bodyguards.

     To this day people can still read his story.

      And your story?

      God can push you past easy and stretch you toward purpose, not just talking about what matters but enabling you to do something about it.

      God can fill you with a joy and a trust that doesn’t shake when life does, enabling you to learn from your mistakes and open your eyes to the right priorities.

     God can do more with the unwritten pages of your future that you could ever do by rereading the yellowed pages of your past.

      And then, some day, we might say of you, she went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

  • Sinking Moments

    Sinking Moments

    If you hang around with me long enough, I’m going to let you down.

    You’ll leave our interaction, confused or upset.  

    I might even make you mad.

    It’s inevitable. 

    Oftentimes, my missteps come from a place of care and concern.

    Sometimes from a place of fear.

    But, always, I will feel much worse about what I’ve said or done than you do.

    I’ll leave our interaction replaying, dissecting, and feeling disappointed in myself. Perhaps you can relate. It’s a perfect storm on a tumultuous sea, leaving me feeling defeated. I recognize those waves. Their sole purpose is to drag me down.

    Until recently, when I opened my Bible one morning, hoping that the planned verse would speak comfort to me after a stressful conversation the night before.

    Bleary eyed, I looked at the words jumping off the page.

     “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NKJV)

    Wait. 

    Where were the uplifting verses?  The ones that pull me out of my mire-y muck? Where was the deep truth meant to hug me like a life vest? I know they exist.

    There must be some mistake. This one won’t work for today’s schedule. I’ve got some wallowing in the swamp of self pity to do, and I’m already running behind. Serving will have to wait.

    At an invisible urging, I began to look back upon previous devotional and sermon notes, and I came across a question asked in a recent sermon.

    Can sinking moments become sacred moments?

    And I found the well-worn story of Peter and his storm from Matthew 14:30-33.

    “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” Matthew 14:30 (NKJV)

    Reading this brought me back to my own morning.

    I noticed that it wasn’t the morning after Peter started to sink that Jesus showed up. He didn’t just toss Peter a well-timed life jacket stuffed with verses during their morning one-on-one time. We know that the One Who Walks on Water was there to immediately lend a helping hand to his soaked and newly defeated friend.  

    Immediate help, because He was already there.

    The lifeline Peter sought was already in the storm, waiting on the surface, to lift Peter and return him to the boat. Peter called out to his Savior because they had cultivated a relationship.  There was trust, connection, and routine.

    And just like Peter, the lifeline I sought was already there.

    In my consistent morning devotional time.

    In my daily prayers.

    In my steady church attendance.

    Trust, connection, and routine.

    And so…

    If I truly believed that God was growing something in me that would outlast my struggle, I would know that we learn the most during our storms, despite all the anxious seaweed entangled around our legs.

    If I truly believed that my story was being written in ways that would bless others, I could have confidence that God could use all of me, even my faults, and would be free to shrug off all that wet self-loathing.

    If I truly believed that God’s mission moved forward on prayers, I could swim with His current and contribute more completely to that divine momentum. 

    It’s not lost on me that the now dry disciple, Peter, goes on to deny Jesus three times.

    And I could easily quip, 

    “But Lord, at least I’m not as bad as that guy.  As far as broken vessels go, he’s the leakiest.”

    That might momentarily reassure me.

    But I don’t want to be comforted out of my discomfort anymore.

    In the story of the potter and his clay, from Jeremiah 18, the potter did not abandon his clay creation when it came out a little wonky. He didn’t placate the lumpy mess, dismissing its flaws as inherited and excusable. There was no attempt to chastise the sharp angles away. Instead, the mistakes were made over. The bumps were blended in. The imperfections were improved.

    Not abandoned, but restored.

    Not forgotten, but remembered.

    Not forsaken, but remade.

    While everyone remembers the denial, they sometimes forget how Jesus, now risen from the grave, appeared to his downcast disciple, Peter, and asked him three times if he loved Him.


    “He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’” (John 21:17 NKJV)

    Restored.

    Remembered.

    Remade.

    Do you recall my early morning, unsuitable Bible verse that admonished me to serve?

    Well, maybe I was wrong, and it wasn’t there by mistake. Perhaps it’s a gentle reminder to continue to serve despite the kelp and barnacles. Or could it be a nudge to not become stagnant in my own bog? The real problem could be being stuck in that quagmire that follows all my muddy thinking.

    Just like Peter.

    The Bible tells us back in John 21:3, that before Peter could be restored, Jesus had to find him. And where was Peter? He was out at sea, fishing, and coming up empty-handed.

    Stagnant.

    Stuck.

    In the sea, yet again.

    Did Peter replay the events of that important day? 

    Was he dissecting his last conversation with Jesus?

    Could Peter have possibly felt a little defeated?

    Did he recognize those waves?

    After the drama in the water, the denial, and the restoration, Peter went on to serve Jesus and spread the Gospel.

    So tell me…

    Can sinking moments become sacred moments? 

    Is a verse advising me to serve, an anchor for today? Is it designed to keep my thoughts from drifting too far from the shore? Or, is it meant to be a buoy to a message I’ll need in the future? 

    After all, Jesus is already there.

    I need only to take His hand and let Him lead me back to the boat.

    Because my Savior walks on the water, and He is calling me to serve.