NIKSEN

As we turn the calendar from the glorious summer days of July into August, we long for time to stand still as we bask in the sun, laze in bed an extra moment or simply sit quietly in the evening enjoying a warm breeze. These are the lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer. It’s also the season of Niksen (Dutch) which is literally the opportunity to step back, let go, embrace non-doing and absorb the art of doing nothing and the need to accomplish.

Throughout the year, we are innundated with schedules, routines and demands. There is always a time or season to give oneself permission to relax, enjoy and worry less. Yes, there are times throughout the year we can do this as well, but summer is just so fitting to enjoy because in our harsh Northern climate when the cold, snow and dark days descend upon us all too soon, we long for the heat once again. Summer is the opportunity to get outdoors, to walk in nature, to read and reflect and to say nay to pressing “to do’s”.

Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7

An example from the bible was when Jesus and his disciples hadn’t had a chance to rest because they were dealing with crowds of people. In the gospel of Mark 6:31 “so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’

Jesus knew that they needed time to rest and restore, to get something to eat and to spend quiet time after meeting with the crowds because the day had been so busy.

So regardless of busyness or full calendars, it’s important to take “time outs” and embrace the value of “non doing”. What does that look like for you this month - this summer? For me, it’s getting away - I hear the ocean call my name - but I’ll be back in a few weeks…..Niksen time!

WIDDERSHINS

Oh Gee willickers! Dang! Sometimes I’m a knucklehead but that ninkompoop is worse! But fiddlesticks! It’s not just hunky dory these days. Things just seem to be moving in the wrong direction in our world today - more like counter-clockwise or in other words: Widdershins!

And yet, what an awesome, amazing, adventurous place it is! What a privilege we have to live, work and serve in such a broken world. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. The apostle Paul shared in Galations 5:13 that,

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

I am a barefoot mamma who loves to kick off her shoes and walk in the grass in the summer. Then I think about my hands. Palms up - palms down, turn them over and hold them open. When I think about my feel and hands, it reminds me of how they have served me throughout my years. I’ve got bunions and callouses on my feet and my hands have wrinkles and are shriveled and worn, but both have helped me all my life.

My feel have carried me on sandy shores and rocky mountainous trails. They have dipped into the waves of the ocean and walked in a cold stream. They have kicked soccer balls in grassy fields and pedaled a bicycle along a paved path. I have stood on them through seasons of childbearing years sometimes endless nights pacing the floor with a newborn and at the hospital bedside of my loved ones.

These hands have written letters and books and trembled when I read my parent’s obituaries at their passing. They have held my children and grandson, consoled neighbors and friends, cooked meals for others and been clenched in anger at times when I didn’t understand what was happening.

Both hands and hands have been bent and broken, dry and raw, scarred and bleeding. Now that I am older, they still work but even though I’m not as nimble as I used to be, I can still clasp them in prayer and hold others in love, even if I have to stand on tiptoes to reach a hug. More importantly, these will be the hands that God reaches out to take me and the feet that will walk toward Him when he reaches out to take me home.

 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31

I don’t doubt for a moment that His nail-scarred hands hold me until then. I pray he is holding you.

chiliad

I have a thousand questions. Why do men take up swords to slay one another? Why do words pierce the inner fibre of our being? Why do flames devour, raging winds wreak havoc, and earthquakes create cracks to swallow the earth? Why does the beaming smile of a little child light up my world? Why does the string of a cello vibrate my innermost rhythms? Why is the church today more like a luxury liner instead of a battleship ready to fight for the souls of men?

Indo-European etymologists believe that the word “thousand” or “chiliad” in Greek means “swollen hundred.” There really was no word for “thousand” so it referred to very large numbers. In the Psalms, David makes reference to God:

He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, Psalm 105:8-10 or perhaps:

For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. Psalm 90:4

And Peter, Jesus’ apostle, gives us a true figure as well:

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8

And so, for thousands of years, the real purpose of the church is to bring unbelievers to Jesus. Jesus told his disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned".” (Mark 16:15-16) Yet many Christians indulge in the peaceful comforts of the world. What would really happen if we looked squarely in the face of thousands of people on this planet “who are currently heading for an eternity in hell, while never having heard of Jesus? Would we decide it was time to move this ship back into battle, or would we continue to sit back on the pool deck while we wait for the staff to service us another drink?” - David Platt

Eternity is forever. I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t and die to find out there is.

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. Rev. 20:6

Maybe it’s time to put on our armour and fight the real battle - the spiritual war that is raging across our nations. How are you sharing God’s love and promises in your life today?

solivagant

There are some days when I get the urge to hike high in the mountains, silently stride by the river, or briskly bike along a path. There are other times when I let my thoughts wander in different directions, but those inner thoughts eventually lead to some recent happening, worry or concern in my life. And so in my solivagant, or solitary wandering, I think about injustice and pain that others suffer.

Recently I watched the movie, “The Sound of Freedom” which is about a federal agent who rescues a boy from cruel and ruthless child traffickers. He finds out that the boy’s sister is still being held captive and he decides to journey on a mission to save her. He quits his job, dives deep into the Columbian jungle and puts his life on line to safe her. It tugged at my heart in so many ways and brought tears to my eyes.

“Typically, we want the persecution to stop. Typically, we want suffering believers to be rescued. Typically, we want the persecutors to be punished. Typically, we equate Western forms of democracy with the kingdom of God. Typically, we try to do with money what we should do with witness. And in those perfectly normal responses, we can find ourselves completely out of step with the purposes and plans of God. Much to our surprise, believers enduring intense persecution did not ask us to pray that their persecution would cease. Instead, they begged us to pray that they would be obedient through their suffering. And that is a very different prayer indeed.” - Nik Ripken

Which begs the questions, how are we praying? Are we being putdown for our stand regarding Jesus? Am I leading a life worthy of what I am called to do? There will always be thoughts to ponder. There will always be prayers to pray. There will always be injustice until Jesus comes to restore his kingdom and God will deliver justice to all. And there will always be questions. Keep asking them.

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12

BIBLINE

Look at the world and see it is full of people. Look at the sky on a clear night and it is full of stars. Go into the forest that is full of trees. People can also be “full of themselves” and even our homes are full of stuff.

Many people watch Netflix or their lives are full of social media. Others are consuming culture, a cause or even food. Their journey in life is full of the world and all it has to offer. John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is much like J.R.R. Tolken’s Lord of the Rings trilogy in that it is the journey of a Christian from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City.

The story is full of characters - Talkative, Giant Despair, Worldly Wiseman, Pliable, Formalist and Obstinate. Bunyan’s Prilgrim’s Progress is also full of reflections of a bible verse or passage from the bible. Charles Spurgeon, a great theologian once said, that “if you pricked Bunyan, his blood would be “Bibline”; or in other words, full of scripture. He, like Paul, read the Word until his soul was saturated with scripture. He was a living bible. What an example to us!

Recently, I started writing bible verses on index or recipe cards to keep in my vehicle. When I am waiting for someone, in traffic or at the lights, I try to memorize the scripture verses - line by line. Keep the Word of the Lord written on the tablet of your heart and stored in your mind for future reference. God will bless you when you speak His Word. What ways are you etching His Word into your life, your mind and your blood?

My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but keep my commands in your heart,
 for they will prolong your life many years
    and bring you peace and prosperity.

 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
 Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:1-4

cattywampus

I don’t know about you, but there are just some things in the world today that are cattywampus! Yes, this word says it all: something is off kilter or askew. Many theologians, philosophers and prophets have told us that we are to watch for signs of the times. Newscasters announce disasters and catastrophic events. Educators, medical staff and politicians communicate that the world is wacky these days. We even have Wacky Wednesday! You may be nodding your head in agreement!

Whether it’s wild, wacky or weird - there is an answer to what to do about it all and change those adjectives into wonderful, warm and welcoming. In 1904, a headline from the New York Times caught my attention:

Commuter Carred Victim and Guildty Secret to New York

Apparently, a New York business man from New Jersey had a number of pigeons, but lost many of them to vagrant cats. He became so aggitated that he lay in ambush with a gun watching for stray cats. Sure enough, one emerged with a pigeon in its mouth. He shot and the cat was dead. The problem was that he needed to dispose of the carcass. He first thought of burying it in the back yard, but the neighbors might see him.

He decided instead to wrap the cat in papers and throw it off the ferryboat that he took to cross the river. The next morning he took the train and then boarded the boat where he was greeted by a group of friends. He realized he would have to do some explaining, so his plan was deterred. He thought he would toss the bundle into a trash can on the way to the office but someone was always gazing in his direction, including a policeman.

He went all the way to the office and locked the dead cat in a closet, vowing that he would take care of matters on his way home. But once again, on his return trip home, he met more acqaintances. He boarded the train, laid the package beside him and tried to read the daily paper. Reaching his station, he took the package and went home defeated. When he got home, he handed the bundle to the cook and told her to bury the cat in the back yard.

She took the package but returned a few minutes later.

“There’s been a mistake, Sir. This isn’t a cat. It’s a nice leg of mutton.”

Evidently, the man had picked up the wrong bundle when he left the train. He hoped that the person who reached home with the dead cat didn’t learn his identity.

Thankfully, we have our identity in Jesus Christ as believers! We don’t need to hide anything and He wraps His arms around us in love and comfort.

1 Peter 2:9 ~ “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Galatians 2:20~ ” I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”