Naughty Corner

The year was 1961. The place was St. Ann's Catholic School. The teacher, Mrs. George. There were two words in her vocabulary that evoked immense fear in the lives of her kindergarten students - Naughty Corner. This was a place in the classroom housing one piece of furniture, a chair facing a blank wall. A most dreadful place! To a five year old that yellow, plastic chair with steel legs was as intimidating as an electric chair to a death row inmate.
Good old Mrs. George had plenty of patience but when tested to the limits her last resort was the Naughty Corner. Anyone sent there went with everyone's eyes watching the long mile back to the dreaded place. Lessons were learned as one sat face to the wall, backside to the class. Remorse, repentance, shame, guilt, anger at self and the teacher (or perhaps the child who didn't get sent), swirled about like the fairground's tilt-a-whirl.
The Naughty Corner was for naughty behavior. God doesn't do naughty corners. Time outs however, He does do. There are consequences when we make wrong choices. Prison may even be the consequence of a wrong choice. Yet my Bible tells me in Romans 8:1 there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Time outs may set us aside from where we want to be while we reflect on how we need to be. Time outs get us alone with God for reflection, reproof, conviction and confession. Time outs heal. Sure the healing process may be uncomfortable and even hurt - so does necessary surgery. After the healing takes place and lessons are learned, the time out can be understood and deemed valuable. Time outs are to build up, not tear down. Time outs are to bring us to a higher place with God on our journey. Time outs are not naughty corners. They rescue us from ourselves, deliver us from humiliation, and set our face on The Redeemer.

Yet

I'd like to give you several of the definitions of the word yet: in addition; besides; up to now; continuously up to the present or a specified time; at a future time; eventually.
Now think of the times you've said, with a hint of cynicism in your voice, that an object of desire had not happened yet. With cynicism as a companion, yet means highly unlikely. Every unmet expectation becomes another brick added to the wall of unbelief. Yet holds out little or no hope. Yet gives up on someone, something and maybe even God. Yet may be the idol of unbelief.

Now think of the times when you've stated that your object of desire had not transpired yet. But with a gleam of hope in your eye and an ounce of faith in your heart, you are waiting for the future time-- the "eventually" of your dreams. Yet does not construct a brick wall here, it destructs the concrete blocks of negativity. Yet sets it's eyes like a racehorse with blinders to keep the goal of the finish line in plain view. The finish line is there no matter how far away it may seem. You may expire before you reach it but you will die reaching and believing for the goal of yet.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Those who come to Him must believe that He is. He is what? He is a God of your yet, my yet. He rewards those that believe He is a yet kind of God. He is faithful even when we are faithless. He reaches down when we can barely look up. Yet does look up instead of around. Yet forges ahead when others stay in the box. Yet throws away the odds, the statistics, and keeps a distance from the naysayers in life. Yet hears the cheers of those on the sidelines rooting, believing and praying for your yet.
Your yet may be today, tomorrow, next week , next year or off in the distant future. Choose yet companions wisely. They will either keep you from your desired finish line or hand in hand walk with you to it!

Water Pots and Wedding Guests

The first miracle that Jesus ever performed was at a wedding. Just about every preacher uses this story when performing a wedding ceremony. This story is endearing to a love struck couple. They know Jesus understood how special and long awaited a wedding day is.
Unfolding the details of the wedding Jesus was attending makes the plot thicken. First, Jesus' mother was at the wedding. She was only a guest and not in charge of the food and beverage. Her concern was certainly not for herself but for the parents of the bride and groom. How embarrassed they would've been if anyone went home thirsty or hungry.
Up to this point Mary had never seen Jesus perform a miracle. What did Mary know? Well, she was told some thirty years earlier by and angel she would deliver the Son of the highest, of his kingdom there would be no end. After his birth and a declaration by appearing angels and shepherds Mary is said to have pondered these things in her heart. The mother of Christ never forgot who she birthed. While she didn't understand the capabilities of her son, she trusted Jesus could help the celebration stay a celebration. No one would go home murmuring.
Mary approaches Jesus. She states, "They have no wine." No coaxing or badgering. Part of Jesus' reply to his mother when she stated the dilemma was that his time had not yet come. However, he turns around and orders water to be put into pots then turns the water into wine. This was the first manifestation of his glory. The saying,"No wine before it's time" is certainly applicable here.
Often when situations look impossible, inconceivable, insurmountable, Jesus reveals his glory. Why does Jesus wait for the eleventh hour so to speak? So only he will get the glory. So everyone will recognize no human could orchestrate what has happened. So jaws will drop. So people will tell one another. So man will see the manifestation of God's glory, done only in his time.

A New Thing

On an early morning walk I allowed solitude to take me back into history. The history was past memories. Corners of my mind crept out carrying a painful past, painting pictures with hues of deep slate, ebony, onyx. The broad strokes were dark and the fine strokes were even darker. The music I could hear in the background was a dirge emerging into a crescendo that made me want to close my eyes and deafen my ears. My heart ached and I wanted to find an eraser to wipe the canvas clean, a gong to stop ballad of lament. I realized the enemy of my soul was laughing. I bought the lie to replay the tapes, the scenes of hurt I caused and the pillaging of my heart by others. My feet began to drag as well as my emotions. I realized I had a choice. I could set up camp at this dreadful place or I could run.
Funny thing-- just a few days ago I just delivered a sermon on how God wants to do a new thing in our lives. I had to ask myself how can God do a new thing if I chain myself to the past. God won't force me to take the chains off. However, His Word promises that He desires to give me a future bright with promise. New colors can dot the canvas, brilliant with yellow, gold and red. A song and dance with joyful tones, swift and lifting movements can swirl around me. I can be carried away by the One who loves me most, who restores my soul, and who dines with me as I feast in His Word. He has a future that includes goodness, promises of hope, mourning that is turned to dancing.
Isaiah 43:19 says, "See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
I have decided I would rather look expectantly for the new thing than live in the past. This is a new day!

Vortex

A vortex is a spinning, often turbulent, flow of fluid. The spinning action forms a cavity or vacuum in it's center and draws objects into the action. One definition in Webster's is- something that resembles a whirlpool "the hellish ~ of battle - Time ". My mind grasps the whirlpool concept. But my heart knows the vortex experience caused by a "hellish battle of time."
Our minds, wills, and emotions can be drawn into a vortex when: we believe we have plenty of good years left but our employer retires us ten years too early: our desk is pregnant with bills, our bank account is barren of funds; the white picket fence we erect around a precious relationship has turned into a stone wall between us and the other party; the child we birthed and nursed wouldn't take a glass of milk from us if we were the last person on earth; the loving heart of someone we cherish has turned into a vinegar soaked sponge. When we allow the "hellish battle of time" to continue, destruction is inevitable. Everything we think, feel, and act on emerges from the vortex, the whirlpool. When the whirlpool is a cesspool we become toxic. Objects engulfed in this kind of whirlpool wind up a stinking mess. Stinking thinking produces stinking living. Only we can make the choice not to get sucked up in this flurry of activity. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says that we can demolish strongholds, arguments, and pretensions against God by taking our thoughts captive and obedient to Christ. This is the only warfare tactic that will keep us close and clean.

Dark Nights

I've often heard, "It's always the darkest before the dawn." At times this has brought comfort to me. I know dawn comes day after day without fail. Always has, always will. However, when life throws me a round of hurts, failures and disappointments I begin to wonder when the inning will be over. Should I count on one, two, or even more curve balls before the day ends? I lay in bed at night knowing that tomorrow will bring the dawn of a new day but will it bring dawn to the dark night of my soul? I begin to question God's remembrance of me.
I've heard God has a load limit sign on me. Nothing is able to come my way that will destroy me--unless I choose destruction. By faith I choose to believe that my God is able to sustain me-- no matter how long the darkness lasts, no matter how many rounds of curveballs are thrown, no matter if life makes any sense at all. By faith I trust God loves me, will hold my hand in uncertain times, and will even carry me till the dawn comes. And it will come!

Before It's Time

My dad was an alcoholic. I choose not to drink. I figure if I can't stop at one chocolate chip cookie my self control with alcohol may not be any better. I have friends that enjoy a glass of wine on special occasions. Not trusting myself to know if I could stop at just one glass, I dare not explore unknown territory. Some people say wine is safe. I wonder since I "whine" to much if I would wine too much as well. In that case the term, "No wine before it's time" could hold true with my whine problem as well. I need not whine over an outcome before the end of the story has passed. At times I tend to be the person who says the glass is half empty instead of half full. I start revving the whining engines when my glass starts getting empty, when things don't go my way, when people start walking away. Friends and family have to remind me the end of the story has not come. Time has a way of changing people, places, and outcomes. A whine before it's time is just as unpleasant to the ears as a wine before it's time is to the palate. Pessimism hovers when I forget my Sovereign Creator is the One who begins a good work in each of us and is faithful to complete the work. He may complete the story with a different ending than I desire. In that case I need not whine too much or wine too much. His timetable is different than mine. I just need to trust Him!