prayer

Drained

Faith, humility, Knowing God, prayer, Spiritual warfare, Trials / By teri / October 17, 2023 October 10, 2023 / depleted, drained

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Help, I’m going down!

Where do rhythms of grace go when life swirls like a tempest? Too many activities. Too much travel. Too much pain. Sometimes life is too much. Jesus calls out to us, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).

Jesus’ promised rest isn’t a simple nap, coffee break, or vacation. It’s a supernatural ability to remain rested as we work. And sometimes, the work He leads us into drains us.

When I feel drained, I’m learning to let the Holy Water—the Spirit of God—carry me down. All the way. To the bottom. The end of myself.

In 1 Kings chapter 19, we find Elijah completely drained after he battled it out with the priests of Baal. Full of fear, the prophet who acted fearlessly the day before ran for his life and hid from Jezebel. Like the late great NFL coach, Vince Lombardi said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”

The Lord let Elijah sleep and sent an angel with a take-out order to feed the exhausted prophet. Then, the Lord sent him on another draining task. “Take a hike,” God told Elijah, “to Mount Hroeb,” the Mountain of God.

There, God addresses Elijah’s deep discouragement. Elijah wails pitifully, “I alone am left.” Can you relate? “No one understands.” “I’m the only one who cares about _________(fill in the blank: widows, orphans, the lost).” “No one else is doing the work or suffering like me.” We all feel defeated and alone in our faith at times.

So, the Lord washes Eijah with more overwhelming circumstances: a whirlwind, an earthquake, and a fire. You see, Elijah was still hanging onto his own effort and self-importance. The Lord needed Elijah drained so he would stop listening to the lies in his head.

I’ve traveled far more this year than usual; I’m road-weary. I thought my last trip would be the last for this year. Bill and I attended the Refresh Retreat (an annual event in Connon Beach, OR, for people in full-time ministry). We also went To Washington to see our daughter and her family. We traveled by plane or car for four out of the five days we blocked out for this trip. We drove eight hours between Washinton and Oregon.

I’m glad I could go. I’m thankful for the two nights and one day I had at the retreat to reconnect with good friends and walk the beach. However, the whole experience felt more draining than refreshing. When I returned home, I breathed a sigh of relief. It’s time to get on my face and seek the Lord. I’m empty. I’m done. I’m drained.

So, I mark a date on my calendar for fasting and prayer. Then, a rip tide pulled me under, deeper down the drain. My daughter called me; she needs me to make another trip to Arizona to help my uncle move to Houston, Texas, another state I’ve already been to in the past six months. In the emotional somersaults of my soul, I don’t even know where the bottom is. But I know if I could just settle there, it would give me time to look for the still tiny bubbles of God’s breath. Then, I will see the way up.

The way up is never our way. Jesus is the Way. When we think we’re running on empty—we may not be empty enough. The rhythm of grace draws us to the bottom and leaves us there until we listen quietly. And when we listen, we discover we were never alone. God calls others to join us in His work. He’s not finished with us; if we’re still here, it’s because we have unfinished work to complete. Elijah needed to climb down the mountain and join the other servants of God. He needed to

enlist and train his replacement, Elisha. We, too, are commissioned to “Go and make disciples.” The work doesn’t end just because we feel depleted. Depletion is part of our completion.

So, when life is too, too much, let go. Let’s fall flat on our faces. Go down the Holy Spirit’s drain. Sleep. Eat. And most importantly, listen through the noise for God’s still quiet voice.

Let’s confess our self-pity, our vain aspirations, our striving to prove ourselves. All of this misspent energy has a valuable purpose in God’s plan—to make an end of us. God wants to refill us into a channel for His love and mercy. Be encouraged; we are never alone. Let’s listen for God’s gentle call. He’s happy to be our buoyancy if we just let Him float our boat.

Drained isn’t dead. It’s a readiness for refilling.

Revive Us Again: A Prayer for 2023

Faith, prayer, Spiritual warfare / By teri / January 3, 2023 January 3, 2023 / New Year, Prayer, Renewal, revival

Jesus alone is our hope!

We cringe at the darkness descending in our culture. We pray for revival in the world to reverse the evil we see but do we understand revival begins with us, dear sisters?

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Will you join me in humility, prayer, and repentance in 2023?

Abba, we cry out to You.

You are holy and call us to be holy.

May we be women on our faces, dependant on You alone.

May we

Adore You intentionally,

Confess our sins promptly,

Thank You continually, and

Supplicate specifically.

May You graciously revive our hearts so that we will be lights that shine bright in this present darkness.

Amen

Three questions to ask when you’re drowning in responsibilities

Faith, Knowing God, prayer, Trials / By teri / May 3, 2022 March 17, 2022 / busy, overwhelmed, stressed, too busy, work well done

Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!

Two days ago, we flipped a page on the calendar. The ancients celebrated May first, or May Day, as the first day of summer. Today, May Day, signals the start of graduation and wedding season. School will soon be out. We plan vacations and other ways to keep children occupied. Yard work is in full swing. The spring we longed for now slips through our grasp. Soon, the summer heat will beat down, and there is so much left to do. It’s a busy time of year. Sometimes too busy.

When a springtime celebration sinks into overwhelming responsibilities how do we get everything done? Like a sea captain whose boat is taking on water, it’s time to issue a distress call, “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice,” Psalm 18:6a

As a young woman, the fatigue of pregnancy took me by surprise. I’d sleep ten hours and still feel the need for a two-hour nap. Suddenly my regular commitments swamped me. I couldn’t keep up with everything. “Help, Lord,” I cried, and He did.

He counseled me from Titus 2:4-5 “that they (older women) admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” God’s priorities for young women became a filter for my activities. If I was not taking care of these things, nothing else I did was His will for me. God showed me what He wanted me to be doing in that phase of my life. But seasons change so it’s important to keep asking.

Question #1: What does God want me to do?

Now well beyond my childbearing years, I’ve walked through many busy seasons. I’ve discovered sometimes God does put more on our plates than we can handle. He’s waiting for us to ask for His help. The Apostle Paul shares a brilliant insight in the book of Ephesians. “For we are His (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

God planned our perfect to-do lists, and He’s glad to direct our steps. Are we taking the time to ask Him each day what work He wants us to do? As the director of women’s ministries in my church, I often recruit women for various tasks. Whenever I approach someone about a ministry opportunity, I ask them to pray before committing. I may think they’re a perfect fit for a job, but I’m not the Holy Spirit. I want God to direct His daughters to do His will, not mine. If you’re sinking under too many to-dos, ask God what He wants to cross off your list. If His answer is nothing, then the next question becomes vital.

Question #2: How does He want me to do it all?

When poor Martha felt overwhelmed, Jesus taught her the secret of simplicity. “And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:41-42). First, do not, I repeat, do not worry. Anxiety robs us of the peace and rest God intends for us. We need to learn the gentle rhythms of grace. God wants us to depend on His grace and embrace His peace (2 Corinthians 12:9, Philippians 4:7-8).

Next, we need the power of Mary’s one thing—time spent with Jesus. Nothing simplifies my workload more than bringing my to-do list before God each day. As more tasks come to mind and distract me from the Word, I jot them down. When my time with Jesus comes to a close, I lift my list in prayer and ask, “What do You want me to do today, Lord?” Sometimes He adds things. Sometimes He crosses them off. When I start my day with His input, things go much smoother. I know this sounds like I’m repeating question one, but we discover the how in this repetition. How does He want me to work? With Him, in His power, under His leadership. His lordship simplifies life.

Question 3: Who gets the credit for the completed work?

Accomplishment feels great. I love crossing things off my list and changing the “To-Do” to “Ta-da!” When we serve well and accolades come our way, it’s easy to forget Who accomplished what. Jesus reminds us in no uncertain terms, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Failing to give God credit for how He chooses to use us robs Him of glory. It’s a violation of the eighth commandment, “You shall not steal.” Let’s give God credit when He turns our impossible tasks into beautiful realities.

Stand Firm

2 Comments / Faith, prayer, Spiritual warfare, Trials / By teri / March 1, 2022 March 1, 2022 / How to pray, Russia, victory, War in Ukraine, wasting time

Pray for Ukraine!

Millions, if not billions, of peace-loving people—including many Russians—around the globe watched in horror as Russian tanks rolled over Ukraine’s borders. Vladimir Putin shattered seventy years of peace in Europe (the longest period in recorded history). “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3).

This question posed by King David three thousand years ago still troubles us in times like this. On the first day of this war, I wasted too much energy with silly daydreams of just retribution against the present dictator of Russia. What I should have been doing (and am doing now) is standing firm in the armor of God.

My husband spent two weeks preaching through Ephesians 6:10-20. His message series in Ephesians ended four days before the war began. It took me two more days to realize how foolishly I was using my time to fight an unseen enemy. Putin is a puppet. Satan dances in the blood of innocent Ukrainians, and we, the Church, God’s holy army, are called to fight.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

In our strength, resistance is vain. To stand firm, we must bow low. Prayer launches our attack. The Word of truth is our sword, our offensive weapon. Sister Warriors, let’s wield it well on our knees.

Here are specific verses we can pray.

For ourselves, “ that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,” Ephesians 6:19. The power of the Gospel of peace changes hearts. It can even change Putin!
For bad Vlad (if he refuses to repent), “He (God) repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.” Deuteronomy 7:10. Vladimir will come to Jesus one way or another.
For courageous Russians speaking out against this war, and all our family in Christ in Ukraine and Russia, “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by.” Psalm 57:1. May God protect them when no one else can.

Take heart, dear ones; this war is a mere skirmish in an eternal battle already won!

Stand firm; bow low!

Humili*tea

1 Comment / celebrations, prayer, Teatime Qualities / By teri / February 22, 2022 February 28, 2022 / Be Humble Day, George Washington, humility, Pride

Welcome to Teatime

Tea Time is a quarterly (February, May, August, and November) reflection on various qualties.

hu*mil*i*Tea /(h)yo͞oˈmilədē/ noun: 1. a modest opinion of one’s own importance, 2. an absence of pride or self-assertion, 3. To accept, with gratitude, a cup of coffee when you’d prefer tea.

Did you know today, February 22^nd is national “Be Humble Day” and the birthday of the first president of the U.S.? I wonder if the anonymous founder of “Be Humble Day” chose George Washington’s birthday on purpose? (Google didn’t know either.)

I think Washington would count it an honor to have his birthday celebrated by acts of humility—a day to refrain from boasting and acknowledge our mistakes and flaws. In the spirit of “Be Humble Day.”

When I was a child, I enjoyed two days off from school in February: the 12^thand the 22^nd. However, in 1968, when I was a wee second-grader, Uncle Sam stole candy from this baby by rolling the two days into one—Presidents Day—a day to remember not only Washington and Lincoln but all who’ve taken the solemn oath of office. This act of congress took the limelight off Washington’s accomplishments and celebrated each person who served our country as commander-and-chief. Washington would approve, no doubt, but he wasn’t always that humble.

Historians note that young Washington displayed arrogance and excessive ambition. But General Washington resigned his commission as a changed man. War taught him to put others first—a lesson to master if we want to leave this world better than we found it.

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“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.” ~ George Washington

Humility enjoys the freedom of transparency; pride protects self with deception. The humble confess transgressions, receive forgiveness, and gain confidence in the work and worth God bestows upon him. In contrast, the arrogant hide failure and inflate successes. Our Creator gifts us with talents, abilities, and resources to be used for the good of others and the glory of God.

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.” ~ C. S. Lewis

As the newly formed government considered a title for its first leader, Vice President Adams suggested the following: “His Elective Majesty,” “His Mightiness,” and even “His Highness, the President of the United States of America and the Protector of their Liberties.”

However, Washington rejected these inflated perceptions of a head-of-state. They had just won a revolution against a king who claimed divine anointing. While God raises leaders, He also removes those that think too highly of themselves and fail to give Him glory—Nebuchadnezzar being a prime example (Daniel 4:30-33).

Washington understood the title he chose would set both the tone of his leadership and precedence for his successors. He suggested, and the House adopted, the title “The President of the United States,” accepting the simple address, “Mr. President.”

I shuddered at the phrase “under my reign” (instead of administration) as I listened to recent presidential debates. Sorry boys and girls, there’s no such thing as King of America! It’s lamentable that few modern-day presidents display the same humility as George Washington.

Putting politics aside, might celebrating “Be Humble Day” help repair the political and cultural rifts in our nation and the world? The best place to start is on our knees with honest confessions. For example, do we speak disrespectfully about the authorities God placed over us or fail to pray for them? Ouch! I plead guilty. Then our hearts will be ready to pray and thank God for those who serve our nation.

Jesus challenges us to be humble every day, not just on February 22^nd. What might happen if we all accept His mandate, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

Lord, please deliver us from delusions of grandeur. Help us reflect the humility of Jesus, Who came not to be served but to serve by laying aside His glory and laying His life down for others. Amen

ith gratitude, a cup of coffee when you’d prefer tea (or vice versa).

Three Ways to Love in the Fourth-Dimension

Community, Faith, Family Life, Knowing God, Maturity, prayer / By teri / February 8, 2022 December 14, 2021 / Love

For God so Loved!

Sparkling, paper hearts sprang up as I opened a Valentine. Pop-up cards delight me. I love to shop for them, make them, and send them to my friends and family. These whimsical treasures express a three-D love in a material world. Yet, pop-ups hint at the kind of love the apostle Paul describes in Ephesians, “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.” (Ephesians 3:17b-19a). Four dimensions! The cover of a pop-up card hides a central aspect of the message. Today I want to open up a hidden face of love—the unseen work it does for others.

The Bible opens our understanding of the unseen ways Jesus loves us right now, today. Here are three demonstrations of Christ loving us in the fourth dimension.

Offensively

In the book of Romans chapter eight, Paul explains that Christ sits at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Jesus prays for us! He sees our hearts, our struggles, the ways Satan tries to block our goal of Christ-likeness. Then He lifts His hands to the Father, showing His the scars that ensure our victory.

So, what does our prayer life reveal about our love? Do we intercede for others? Are we mindful of their struggles, circumstances, and needs? I fear too often our prayers tend to be selfish, focused on what affects us. How often do we pray for the homeless we pass on the streets or our brothers and sisters who face severe persecution for their faith? Do we pray for our enemies? The Lord expects us to (Matthew 5:44)

Defensively

The book of Job provides a peek into the battle going on around us, exposing Satan’s ugly heart as he maligns both God’s and Job’s character (Job 1:9-11). To this day, the vile, jealous creature constantly accuses God’s saints (Revelation 12:10; “day and night,” according to this passage. But God (two of my favorite words in the Bible) preserves His saints. He defends our righteous standing before Him. The dignity He bestowed on us by grace can never be defamed. The world slings mud at us in vain.

If God so loves us when we aren’t looking, how well do we love one another? My favorite line from the song They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love” states, “We will guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.” Do we? Or do we have dirty hands from belittling others behind their backs?

Immensely

In the first scene of Job, we also hear God brag about His “servant Job.” Did you know God brags about His children.? What good parent doesn’t? The apostle John sums it up well, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” 3 John 1:14. If it makes John happy, how much greater must our Abba’s joy be.

Do we brag about the good things other people do? I tend to brag about my accomplishments. I bait the hook, fishing for praise. I’m working on practicing the wisdom of, “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth, “ Proverbs 27:2. Next time we’re tempted to show off, let’s secretly love another and talk about the beauty they bring to the world.

The most significant love test is anonymity; how do I love when no one looks? Yet, if we only love by unseen methods, we love one-dimensionally—flatter than flat. All dimensions need to be present, our words, our actions, our presence, along with our anonymous contributions to the wellbeing of others. All four-dimension complete a perfect love.

I want to celebrate this Valentine’s Day, not just in tangible ways, but by committing to loving others offensively, defensively, and immensely behind their backs. Will you join me in displaying the fourth dimension of God’s great love for us?

When Believing Is Not Receiving: God’s denials and delays teach us three important lessons

Faith, Knowing God, prayer, Trials / By teri / January 25, 2022 October 15, 2021 / contentment, grace, humility, unanswered prayer, waiting

“How long, oh Lord?”

Jesus promised if we ask in His name, He would answer us. “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13 He Promised if we believe, we will receive.“Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24

So, when we don’t get what we asked for, has He broken His word?

Saints from all generations struggled with the tension of unanswered prayer. The disciples failed to exorcise a demon and left the poor boy’s father devasted and desperate. The Apostal Paul pleaded for healing—God refused his request. Abraham asked God to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of his nephew who lived there. Then watched as the Lord demolished both cities with fire and brimstone. What can we learn from these accounts when our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and never get to God’s ear.

In the Gospel of Luke 9: 14-29, we witness a desperate dad at the end of his hope. This man’s voice cries in despair as he explains to Jesus his son’s severe condition. He has prayed, paid, and plotted, but no one—not even one of the twelve—can cast the violent tormentor from his son’s soul. After hearing his saga, Jesus tells him a simple truth, “All things are possible for him who believes.”
This man’s candid response confronts me with the reality of genuine faith. “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” Faith prays honestly.

Lesson 1: Delays and denials teach us humility and dependence.

Life-giving, soul-saving, mountain-moving faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). As long as I delude my heart with self-sufficiency, “I just need to trust more, believe harder,” I fail to humble myself before God, who grants faith. Jesus later explains privately to his disciples why they couldn’t cast out the demon. “This kind comes out only by prayer and fasting.”

Christ’s call to fast and pray isn’t an encouragement to work up to more faith. He’s reminding them (and us), their effort isn’t enough. Just like the boy’s dad, they need to confess their self-reliance. Fasting communicates complete dependency on God. It reveals Jesus is our bread of life—and we should desire nothing less. When we thrust ourselves upon the mercy of God, He always shows up—but not necessarily in the way we think He should.

Consider the conversation the Lord had with Paul concerning “ a thorn in the flesh.”

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

If you read this chapter, you’ll see Pual knew why he had this affliction. The Lord intended to keep him humble. Paul felt he had learned the lesson; so, he asked God to relieve him. God flat-out rejects the request and gives him something better, grace.

Lesson 2: God’s grace working through our weaknesses accomplishes more than miraculous healing.

We rejoice to see miraculous healing, but the world denies that type of miracle. What unbelievers can not deny is the joy and graciousness of suffering saints. That shouts the reality of good news—God with us—like nothing else can.

Lesson 3: True wealth is contentment to wait on the Judge of the earth to do right.

Abraham, by earthly standards, possessed wealth. That’s what caused his nephew Lot to move away. They both owned fortunes, and one region could not sustain their grazing herds and flocks (the measure of wealth in ancient times) So, a gracious Abraham let Lot pick first which way to go. Lot coveted the fertile valley.

Unfortunately, that plain produced some nasty fruit. Sin abounded in Lot’s new neighborhood. But before judging the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, God let His friend, Abraham, in on the plan.

Abraham did what all godly men do—he interceded for his family. He pleaded with God to spare his nephew. God agrees to the terms of Abraham’s request; if there are ten righteous, he will not destroy the cities.

Abraham waits in the mountains. Later we watch him gaze upon the destruction of these cities. There is no evidence he ever saw Lot again.

God let Abraham wonder and wait. Abraham developed contentment even though he never saw the answer to his prayer for Lot’s safety. He found satisfaction by trusting the Judge of all the earth—Who does do right.

More than needing more, we need contentment with our lot.

^“people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.” 1 Timothy 6:5b-7

Some believers reduce God to a sugar daddy. That covetous spirit propels the false teaching of the prosperity gospel. “Name it and claim it” Christians miss out on the true wealth of dependency, grace, and contentment—these gifts God often provides through denial and delay. Take heart, Sister, when God answers no or not yet, it’s because He’s giving you more than you bargained for. He’s giving you exceedingly abundantly above all, you can ask or think!

Simplici*Tea

Knowing God, prayer, Teatime Qualities / By teri / August 10, 2021 February 4, 2022 / business, simplicity, single-minded

Welcome to Teatime

Tea Time is a quarterly (February, May, August, and November) reflection on various qualties.

Sim*plic*i*Tea \sim-ˈpli-sə-tē, -ˈplis-tē\ n- 1. The lack of complexity or difficulty, plain, uncomplicated like a bag of Lipton.

Taking my Bible, tea, and toast to the patio for my usual breakfast meeting with God, I plopped it all down and sighed over my to-do list that lacked margins.

“Simplicity, Lord, I long for simplicity. What do I quit? What should I quit doing? How long can I keep spinning all these plates before they crash on my head? Help!”

I paused to listen.

Silence. I didn’t hear the still, small voice I had hoped would whisper in my heart. No impressions or verses popped in my head, nothing.

So, I opened my Bible to read, seeking a solution to my problematic business. A familiar buzz distracted me from reading. I looked toward the sound; sparkling ruby throat feathers caught my gaze. Then God’s gentle voice whispered to my soul, “You asked Me for simplicity. Watch this hummingbird. Let Me show you something better.”

I watched intently. The first thing I noticed was how still the body of the bird was. It just hung there fixed in mid-air. Then I studied its wings or at least the blurred traces of them. Hummingbird wings move with such rapid motion that it produces that loud buzz, but the movement is not frantic. It’s controlled and rhythmic. Is it any wonder these tiny creatures eat pure sugar? That led to my next observation; the bird had its long beak buried in a flower sipping long and deep of the nectar within.

“I AM your sustenance. Feed on Me. Keep your heart still and focus on Me. Then I will strengthen you and sustain you in the constant activities I give you to do for My glory.”

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful. Mary has chosen that good part which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42.

I wanted less. God wanted to give me more—Himself, His power, His grace, His peace. I wanted plain. He gave me something extravagant—the “one thing.” Jesus is that One thing; His Word, His presence. Going out to my patio that morning was like going into a fine tea shop and asking the retailer for a bag of Lipton. Instead, the retailer poured me a fine cup of Ceylon steeped from loose leaf. I asked for simplicity; God served me singularity instead.

Sisters, when we feel squeezed by the demands and responsibilities of life, when we crave simplicity, let’s choose “that good part which will not be taken away”; let’s focus on the One who holds it all together.

SerendipiTea

Faith, prayer / By teri / May 18, 2021 August 9, 2021 / Prayer, tea

Welcome to Tea Time

Tea Time is a quarterly (February, May, August, and November) reflection on various qualties.

Ser*en*dip*i*tea \ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē\ n. 1. To discover God’s pleasant providence in life, like sipping high-quality Darjeeling for the first time.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21.

Eureka! The fragrance of sunshine, like my grandmother’s apricot tree, filled my nose as I sniffed in the glass canister of loose-leaf tea. That day I lifted the lids of every jar on the sandwich shop’s tea shelf where I worked. I was trying to decide what I should sip on break. When I discovered Darjeeling, I sniffed no more. That was the tea for me.

My Darjeeling discovery, serendipitous as it was, pales compared to the providence of God’s answers to prayer. He not only answers our prayers—but He often does so in ways that exceed our expectations.

I remember the wonder of the answer to prayer early in my walk with Christ. I was between paychecks, and as often happens in life, I reached the end of my money before the end of the month. Desperate for clean clothes to go to work in, I cried out, “Lord, I need some laundry money.” Two steps later, I noticed a quarter on the ground, the exact change I needed to do one load. Serendipity! A delightful, unexpected treasure! I burst into praise as I picked up the gift from my newfound Father. He really does care for me; I thought as I walked home.

Glimpses of God’s serendipitous nature fill the earth. The flash of a cardinal’s wings, finding an unbroken sand-dollar on the beach, the fragrance of lilacs, all the beautiful wonders that surprise and delight us prove His glorious grace to humanity. The earth declares His extravagance.

How has He inspired awe and wonder in you? When has He stepped into your life with serendipity? How can we provide serendipity to others, perhaps sending a handwritten note or an unexpected gift that adds delight to an ordinary day?

Father, You are the personification of serendipity! You never cease to surprise us with the riches of Your glory. Thank You for being You! Please, open our eyes in wonder to the Wonder that You are. Amen`